Fly Back to Me
by LanaaLuthor
Summary: The story of Clark and Chloe. Of Superman and intrepid reporter. Their past in Smallville and their present in Metropolis.
1. Chapter 1

**Description: **The story of Clark and Chloe. Of Superman and intrepid reporter. Their past in Smallville and their present in Metropolis.

**video:** youtube

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watch?v=cIbsB8RSUcA

* * *

**Prologue**

He was back.

He was fucking back.

And she was as angry as a bee.

How could he just… come back after three years of…

She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself down.

She would not let herself be affected by this again. She would not let herself feel right now. She had done a pretty damn good job when she had finally managed to move on with her life.

She had a career now. She was living her dream and she had just got a promotion in the Daily Planet. Perry finally started liking her and appreciating her reporting skills. She was where she had always wanted to be.

And it felt empty.

She had refused to admit it two days ago. She had had no other choice but to live this life. There had been no alternative for her and he could come back in a month, another year or maybe even after she and everyone he had ever loved would be gone. She had no idea how fast or slow the time was passing in the Fortress.

And she didn't care.

She lived her life.

And he just needed to fucking step right into it again. Destroying everything. Wrecking all the walls she had built around her.

Besides being furious with him she also felt guilty. She had no right to take it all out on him. He had just come back home. She understood that his destiny was much greater than she herself was, she understood that and had always supported that. If only he hadn't left in such…

She didn't want to think about it, because it only opened the freshly scarred wounds around her heart.

Only she couldn't let it go. She had never been able to let him go and even now, she still couldn't.

It was like a part of him was always with her, inside her, poisoning her. Ever since she had met him when she had moved to Smallville in the age of eleven. He had always been with her and he had always had her heart. Even if he hadn't known about it at the beginning.

And there were times when they had been so happy. So free.

Until it had all ended.

She sat on the sofa in her small and cluttered apartment. Work was all her life now even if she knew it wasn't healthy. She didn't care about the place she lived in. The fact that she managed to keep it clean, it was remotely close to the Daily Planet and the rent wasn't very high was enough for her.

He had used to be her whole world. And coffee.

Coffee remained, but he was gone.

Until now.

Her eyes wandered to the pile of books that was on the floor next to the small coffee table. She had never really had time to buy a small book case and put them there. Or maybe she had just refused to touch them, because right there, in her favorite poetry volume was a letter.

The only thing that she had left after Clark… had left her.

Chloe knew it would bring both happy and painful memories and she didn't really want to read it again, even when she knew it all by heart. Her hand reached for it on its own nevertheless.

She took the folded sheet of paper and opened it. Read it.

_I want to let you in on a secret, Chloe. I am who you always believed I could become. I am the man who loves you with my whole heart and I will never stop. You are the girl of my dreams. I know you had to wait for a long time, but in the end, I was brave enough to tell you how I really felt. _

_You were always right. You were the girl I was meant to grow into, the girl and now woman of my dreams. You are and always will be the one. _

_I am sorry for doing this, but this is the only way. You of all the people should understand that. I need to go. I finally need to listen to Jor-El. I need this training. _

_Everything inside me hurts right now, Chloe. You make it all better, but still, I need to leave. I need to finally deal with those powers, to reach my potential, to be able to control them. It's what you always wanted me to do, isn't it?_

_I may not be with you today, but know that you will always be in my heart and I can only hope I will be in yours too. _

_I hope that one day I _will _fly back to you._

_Love,_

_Yours, always_

_CK_

to Tars were dripping down on the letter now and Chloe thought they were opening the wounds that were carved in the paper. The last time she had been reading this she had been crying just like she was now. And the paper had been stained.

Even if she had got this letter. Even if she had got the proof that somehow Clark had gotten his hands on the one she had written so many years ago and read to him when he had had a fever… that still hadn't been enough then and it wasn't enough now.

The greatest love of Chloe's life was also her doom…

* * *

_Few Years earlier…_

**Part 1**

"Clark, I'm talking to you!" Chloe raised her voice, really irritated by now.

Of course, why would he listen to her when there was Lana Lang sitting in the diner just few feet from them!

"Hmm… What?" Chloe finally managed to get his attention. They were just having lunch and normally she would take the food with her to the Torch, but she felt like they hadn't been spending enough time together. They were best friends after all.

She should have known better. Clark Kent was totally in love with Lana Lana and that would probably never change. And he would probably never know about Chloe's feelings, her suffering because he didn't see her as a girl but as a best friend, a buddy, and because he hadn't even acknowledge her existence when she'd visited him when he'd had a fever. Well, an unconscious person had the right not to notice his visitor, but that didn't excuse him from speaking Lana's name out loud while Chloe had been reading him that letter.

He had hurt her that day and she had never been hurt by him before. She knew he would never do it intentionally, but it still got her straight in the heart.

Sometimes she wondered if she should just give up on that friendship, but she knew she would never do that. It was more precious to her than any affection she could get from Clark. At least this was real. At least he liked her, but maybe not necessary the way she would want him to.

"So, what were you talking about?" he asked her, taking a fry, dipping it in ketchup and eating.

"I was just… oh, forget it," she sighed and got up, taking her lunch. "I have a lot to do in the Torch, so see you later…"

"Chloe, wait!" Clark followed her. "What did I do? I'm sorry if I seem to be a little distracted…"

"That's an understatement of the century!" she huffed.

"What is your problem? Chloe, talk to me!" He stopped her, standing right in front of her.

"Oh, now you want to talk when I don't feel like it anymore?" she sighed.

"Just tell me what's on your mind."

"Lana Lang is a Queen B in this school and even if she was nice and friendly, she has a boyfriend. I think you should come back to the planet called Earth." Chloe passed by him and walked inside the Torch.

"Queen what?" Clark asked, frowning.

"Bitch," Chloe answered and turned the computer on, then started eating when waiting for it to be ready.

"Lana is not…"

"Clark, just save it. I don't want to argue with you… And I really need to work, so if you're not gonna help, do you mind?"

"I can help. Just tell me what to do." He smiled at her with that gorgeous smile of his and what she could do? She smiled back, forgetting about their conversation and assigned him an article to write.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Chloe felt fat.

She knew she was being ridiculous and that she should stand for acceptance and all, but she just felt fat. Especially when looking at Lana Lana who was so perfect that every guy in school wanted to date her, including Chloe's best friend, Clark.

So maybe Chloe was, indeed, too fat? She had large breasts and she felt like there was too much fat in her middle and on her thighs. She even looked at herself critically in the mirror. Then she noticed that her arms had too much fat too…

That was it. She should just eat less and exercise more. Maybe she shouldn't drink so much coffee either, she took it too sweet. And maybe she shouldn't sit so much in front of her computer in Torch. Maybe she should…

* * *

In every young girl's life, even if she was as smart as Chloe Sullivan, must come a day in which she would decide she looked fat. Even if she wasn't, in fact, the definition of obese.

"Here you go," Clark said and put a tray full of food right next to the screen of her computer in the Torch.

"I didn't tell you to get me this," Chloe told him, surprised with that nice gesture.

"I thought you were working late with the new Torch's edition and that you didn't have time to go get lunch. It's lunch time, you know." Clark just shrugged and pulled up a chair right next to her, so he could eat with her.

"It's very sweet of you, Clark," Chloe said, "but this is my lunch." She pointed a cup full of coffee.

Clark just raised his eyebrows.

"It's non-fat," Chloe explained and took a sip, then winced.

"What on earth are you doing?" Clark asked. "Chloe, this is not lunch. My mum always says…"

"Your mum makes dinners for two farmers who need their strength. You and your dad lose all that calories while working on the farm."

"And that have what exactly to do with your lunch?" Clark got confused.

"Your mother asks me to dinner like once a week, so say sorry to her, but this needs to stop."

"Chloe, are seriously trying to lose weight?" Clark seemed to finally catch up with her and now he was looking at her with his eyes widely opened. "I thought all those girls who starved themselves were always beneath you. Weren't you the one who told me that a girl needs to eat to stay healthy? Your dad taught you that."

"Maybe, my dad is genetically inclined to love me." She shrugged and drunk more of her coffee, frowned again and tired very hard not to look at the food Clark had brought for her.

"You're starving yourself," Clark said like he already decided that Chloe, indeed, was.

"No, I'm just trying to lose a couple of pounds."

"For what? You're not fat! And losing weight this way, by not eating, will only lead to you collapsing in school and what if you hit your head? Chloe, your head is the thing you love the most about yourself, admit it! Without that, you wouldn't write so well."

Chloe laughed. Clark, as always, managed to cheer her up.

"You're perfect me to, Chloe," Clark suddenly said in a serious and husky voice. "You don't need to change. Not ever."

Her heart started beating a little too fast and she felt dizzy. Maybe it was because she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, but maybe Clark's close presence contributed to that somehow.

She was always light-headed around him.

"Then why every boy in this school wants to date Lana?" Chloe suddenly asked, not done with the topic.

Clark shrugged. "First of all, they do not know you, and second of all, I personally think Lana could put on a few pounds."

"Clark!" Chloe raised her voice in surprise.

"What?"

"You like her! How can you say stuff like that?!"

"Well, I do like her, very much." He started blushing and Chloe's giddiness passed in an instance. "But it doesn't mean I don't see that she is too thin."

Lana Lang was a thin empty doll, Chloe thought and she could only wish Clark noticed the second part on time.

Then she finally reached for the food Clark had brought her and earned his smile.

* * *

In the next week two huge things happened. At least for Clark.

First, Lana Lang publicly broke up with Witney, who apparently hadn't been paying that much attention to her and chose some bimbo over her.

Second, Clark accidentally bumped into her when taking a walk before dinner.

It was autumn, so days were shorter than in the summer and it was already dark outside. Yet, Lana seemed not to mind and she chose that time of the day to visit a cemetery where her parents laid.

There, Clark saw her and decided to take his chance.

* * *

"_Chloe, would you like to go to the prom with me?" Clark just asked her and she smiled broadly to him as her dream was coming true and there was only one answer she had._

_ "Yes, Clark, I would love to."_

Chloe decided to stop daydreaming and focus on her math assignment. She had only time to do her homework before dinner now as she was usually so busy at the Torch. She didn't mind though, she got used to it. She filled her lack of social life with school and the Torch, what led her to the valedictorian title.

So what? She sometimes thought. So what if she was still alone and had no social life and only one friend? That one friend was a fantastic friend and all she really needed, but still… her life wasn't full enough. It was empty. She even now felt lonely.

First, she needed to take care of that assignment and stop thinking about Clark. He would probably never see her for something more than a friend and she needed to deal with it. In a few months or weeks even, she should be over that crush and everything would come back to normal. Then maybe she would finally meet the one for her.

She wasn't a pathetic teenager who was rooting for a boy she couldn't have and trying to lose her weight when she really wasn't fat.

* * *

Clark came back home, closed the door and went upstairs like he was in a trance.

"Clark, honey, dinner's ready!" Martha called after him.

He came back and fell into a chair and when his mother put a plate full of food in front of him, he didn't even touch it.

"Clark, honey, is there something wrong?" she asked when they were all sitting by the table.

"Clark?" Jonathan asked after his wife.

"Eh… yeah, everything's fine." Clark shook his head and started eating, but still, it looked more like picking his food.

"There must be something wrong. You always have such a great appetite…" Martha was still worried. "Does it have something to do with your powers? Has something new come up?"

"You mean besides the superstrength, superspeed, superhearing, XRay vision, heat vision and impenetrable skin?" Clark asked and they all laughed. "No, mum, I think it's done. Nothing new."

"So, what's wrong then?" Martha prompted.

"Well… it's not wrong… it's actually… great…" Clark admitted. "I have a date."

"Oh," Martha got interested. "Who is the lucky girl?"

"Lana," Clark answered with a huge smile. He couldn't help it.

"Didn't she have a boyfriend?"

"Exactly, she did. Now she doesn't anymore," Clark answered and finally ate something.

"Be careful there, Clark," his father said to his surprise.

"Careful? Dad, you know I would never do anything to hur…"

"I'm not talking about your powers, Clark," Jonathan interrupted him. "I trust you that you will be responsible with them, but… just be careful with Langs, ok?"

"Why?"

"I knew Lana's aunt… very closely… and she isn't the type of a woman you would like."

"Well, I'm not dating Lana's aunt. I'm dating Lana," Clark told his dad.

"Lana who was raised by her aunt, because she lost her parents when she was still a kid."

"Dad…"

"Jonathan, you shouldn't," Martha supported Clark. "You know how long Clark has been into Lana."

"I know, that is why I'm not forbidding you to date her, I'm just telling you to be careful. Clark, you do remember what happened with Lex. I told you to be careful when you saved his life and I was right then. He sent you that truck and when you didn't accept it, he didn't even have time to talk to you. You needed to leave the key to the servant and any Luthor never looked at you again." Jonathan shrugged. "This is a delicious chicken, Martha!"

Clark finally finished his meal, but his enthusiasm passed.

His dad shouldn't have said that. Lana was different. Lana was really… special, Clark thought.

He would go on that date and it would be amazing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

It wasn't amazing.

In fact, Clark's whole day was far from good. If it was something, it was the worst day ever.

He'd never believed the words that one day could make a huge difference, but now he did.

One day managed to strip him off all his illusions and put his best friend in mortal danger.

_Way to go, Clark_, he thought, _way to go!_

* * *

It started when he appeared in school that morning, all smiley and in a great mood.

On his way to the Torch, he almost crashed into his classmate, Drew.

"Chloe?" he asked, coming into his friend's favorite room in the whole school. "What was Drew doing here? Does he want a job?"

"Well…" Chloe started, but didn't finish.

"What?" Clark got interested.

Chloe finally turned to look at him and she frowned.

"Why are you all goofy and smiley? It's not like you in the morning."

"Well… I… I have this thing tonight…" Clark started, blushing.

"Spill it," Chloe got interested, but in the same time she felt something sickening in the pit of her stomach like those news wouldn't be good for her.

"I met Lana last night on the cemetery," Clark started.

"Ok, let me just skip the part in which you put cemetery and night together and let's get to the point," Chloe said, biting on her tongue. Who was hanging out in the cemetery when it was dark anyway?

"We talked and I… I asked her out and she said yes," Clark finished with a huge smile he couldn't help. "What? What is it? Why aren't you happy for me?" he asked when Chloe didn't share his enthusiasm.

"Well... it's just… Lana barely broke up with Whitney, so how can you be sure she is serious about you?" Chloe told him the second reason why she hadn't been happy about him dating the raven beauty. As much as she was jealous, she cared about Clark and his feelings more and she didn't want to see him getting hurt.

"I'm not marring her, Chloe. It's just a date." Clark shrugged.

"Of course, but you're not like every other guy I know. Once you like someone, you are serious about it," she said, once again proving him how well she knew him. "I just don't want to see you getting hurt… Oh, by the way, Drew asked me out, so I have a date tonight too."

"Really? That's… Wait, Chloe, how well do you know that guy? Didn't he just have this weird accident last month?"

"Look who's talking. If you get to go on a date, I have the same right," Chloe said and left the Torch.

Now she needed to find Drew and tell him that she, after all, decided to go on that date.

* * *

"…and you know… I just… I don't want to give the impression that I feel sorry for myself, but… I lost my parents… and my aunt raised me all alone… and then, when I thought I could finally trust a guy… he just…" Lana shook her head over her streaming cup of chocolate Clark had ordered for her in the Talon and then she sighed. "Why can't I just meet a nice guy? I think you're nice, Clark and I'm really happy you decided to speak to me last night."

Clark tried very hard not to yawn or tell her that she had, indeed, felt sorry for herself. He had lost his parents too, worse even as he had never actually spent any time with them when he had been a kid and he wasn't just going on and on about them leaving him all alone in the hands of the strangers that were Kents…

Of course, he did not think of his adoptive parents that way, but if he just tried to amuse himself with telling his story the way Lana was telling him hers that was how it would look like.

He scanned the Talon and noticed that Chloe wasn't here.

Where Drew could take her? To see a movie? Only there wasn't anything being played today that Chloe would be interested in.

"Clark?" Lana's voice got to him like through a thick fog. "Clark, are you even listening to me?!" Now her voice was pitched and shrill and didn't sound pleasant at all.

In that very moment, his cell rang.

"Sorry," he said and answered it. It was Chloe.

"Oh, don't mind me, go away and pick it up. There are more important things than being on a date, aren't there?" Lana said in a very unpleasant tone.

"Clark… help! Clark…" Chloe's voice sounded jaded, distorted and her breathing was heavy like she was running.

"Chloe?" Clark got seriously scared now. "Chloe, where are you?!"

"The woods… near the lake… Clark, help! He's after…" The call was broken and there was dead silence in Clark's cell.

"Chloe?!" he yelled her name even though he knew she couldn't hear him anymore. "Damn it!"

"What is it?" Lana asked, frowning.

"I need to… I need to go… Chloe needs my help."

"That's the worst excuse I've ever heard," Lana voiced her opinion. "You could at least have the decency to…"

But Clark was already gone.

His dream shuttered.

When he had been a little boy, he had seen Lana for the first time and he had fallen for her. Only now he realized he had never really known her, so he had fallen for the idea of her. Maybe it was also partially blame as he felt responsible for the meteor shower, for her parents dying…

As he was speeding toward the lake, he wondered what Lana would say if he told her the truth, the truth about himself and the death of her parents. She would probably never speak to him again…

He heard Chloe screaming and then he finally found her.

She must have stumbled and fallen, because now she was lying on the ground in the pile of leaves and there was… Was it possible?

There was no Drew, but a wolf. And that wolf reminded him of something.

Drew was a werewolf? Clark wondered. There was full moon after all.

He vaguely remembered that Drew had an accident last month when he had been out with his Native American friends. There must have been meteor rocks involved and somehow, what Clark had once seen in Kyla, Joseph Willowbrook's granddaughter, must have been transferred to Drew.

He wondered how he would save Chloe without showing his powers to her and then he grabbed a stone and threw it to the wolf.

It scowled and ran away. Clark was stronger than a normal human being, so must have hit the animal hard.

"Chloe? Chloe, are you alright?" Clark finally got to her, putting his hands on her arms, looking for any wounds or bite marks, but fortunately, she seemed to be fine. She only had bruises and scratches from running though the trees.

"Oh, Clark…" she wept and hugged him. He reciprocated, pressing her as hard to his chest as he could without hurting her. "I was so scared… and I am so, so stupid… I heard about Lana taking trips during the nighttime and well… when Drew suggested… we should do something… crazy and wild… I just… I'm stupid," she kept on crying and shaking.

"It's ok, you're safe now," Clark told her and stroked her back.

"Wait, how did you get here so fast?" Chloe asked and pulled away, so she could look into his face.

"The date was a big fiasco and you were right about Lana," Clark sighed. At least that part was true. "I was walking home when you called. I was in the area, so I ran."

"What would I've done without you?" Chloe asked with a smile.

"Don't think about it, because you'll always have me," he assured her.

"We need to call… someone… to report… Drew…"

"I'll take care of this," Clark offered.

It was hard to convince someone that the other person was a werewolf, but he could go to the Kawatche people or call BelleReve. They already had their pile of meteor infected and Clark was sure nothing would surprise them at this point.

"Let's get you home."

* * *

When Clark finally came back to the farm, he was completely drained.

The day that was supposed to be fantastic turned out to be a disaster.

He had walked Chloe home and stayed with her a little until she would clean herself up and most importantly, calm down. Her father hadn't been back yet and she hadn't wanted to worry him. Then Clark, after making sure for the tenth time that she had been ok, sneaked out the back when there had been a rustling at the front door indicating that Gabe Sullivan had been back home.

All Clark wanted now was to just go upstairs to his bed and sleep, but before he reached the stairs, the light was switched on and he saw both his parents sitting in the kitchen, waiting for him.

"Your curfew, young man, was an hour ago," Jonathan's hard and slightly angry voice sounded.

Clark closed his eyes and sighed.

"I know this might sound like a petty excuse, but… in fact I was saving Chloe," Clark said to his parents as then he turned to look at them.

"So you didn't spend all this time with Lana?" Martha asked, still suspicious.

Clark couldn't blame his mother. She did trust him, she always did, but he was a teenager with superpowers and he had just had his very first date "of his dreams", or his parents thought so. He might have been late.

"Well, to be honest, my date with Lana was a complete fiasco and ended way before my curfew," he said. "Besides, nothing can hurt me, so what's the problem?"

"The problem is that you need to learn some responsibility, young man!" Jonathan growled. "We know that you're practically indestructible, but this doesn't make you more special than every other kid when it comes to listening to your parents. We just want what's the best for you and you need to learn…"

"Jonathan…" Martha cut in, watching her son's face more closely, "he's telling the truth. Just look at him. Clark, did something really happen to Chloe?"

"I'm sorry," Clark apologized and sat down by the table with his parents. "I am truly sorry for not getting home earlier and not calling, but she was so shaken up…"

"Is she alright?" Jonathan asked, his voice finally softening.

"Yes, she is now, thanks to me. She was attacked by, believe it or not, a werewolf."

"Did she see you using your powers?"

"No, she didn't. I'm safe and she's safe, so everything ended well… oh, besides my date. All Lana kept talking about was cheerleading, pink for some incomprehensible reason, Whitney cheating on her, her dead parents and her aunt and how it was so hard to find a decent guy those days…" Clark sighed.

Jonathan, to his astonishment, suddenly laughed.

"What?" Clark was taken aback. "What's so funny?"

"I see that the apple didn't fall far from the tree," his father just said. "You know, I told you I was close with her aunt, actually, we were engaged."

"What?!" That was surprising for Clark.

"Yes," his father confirmed. "I was blind, because Lana's aunt was just like her. Then, luckily for me, I met Martha, the love of my life," Jonathan reached his hand to touch his wife's, "and I ended up marrying her."

"Clark, you always liked Lana," Martha spoke, "maybe you just started believing at some point that she was perfect. She was what you always wanted, but just think realistically. She's the most popular girl in school, maybe even in the whole town and everyone wants to date her. Do you really want to be in that group? Don't you want somebody more special? Somebody that you would want for… you? Not because everyone else wants it?"

"Mum, I've already figured out that what I felt for her was just a illusion," Clark admitted. "And that left me in the dark. I'm so lost now."

"Well, you have plenty of time to figure out what and who you want, my dear. You're still very young," Martha said. "The right person will come into your life when it's time, you'll see."

"Sometimes I feel like I'll be alone forever. You know, because of my powers. Whom I'm gonna tell? Who will ever accept me?"

"I'm sure there will be a woman who will. One day she will come into your life," Martha tried to comfort her son.

"Ok, I think we should all go to sleep now as we need to raise early," Jonathan said and stood up. "But don't you forget that you always need to call us when something is happening and I mean someone being in danger. That is the only reason why you can ever miss the curfew."

"Sure, dad, I promise. Today I was just… so scared for Chloe that I lost the track of time."

Martha just smiled to him and put her hand on his arm.

* * *

**AN **I am sorry if someone feels offended with Lana bashing. I, personally, like her very much and usually portrait her in a better way, but this is for the benefit of the story.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN **I started a new Chlark story, following Smallville Canon - how it would have looked like if Clark and Chloe had gotten together in _Smallville_. It's called _More than a Hero_ and you're welcome to check it out. I just hope you will not confuse it with this story.

* * *

**Part 4**

It was a typical Friday movie night for Clark and Chloe.

They sometimes liked to just stay in and watch something. For Clark it was always enjoyable, because for once, he didn't have to worry about his powers and saving all the people he could, he also didn't have to worry about his chores on the farm and homework. The truth was that he did not have time at all to watch TV at home, so if Chloe wanted a movie night, he was more than willing. Watching movies with her made him forget about the reality, about the responsibilities he had, about the burden that was so much more than a typical teenager should carry. Watching movies with his best friend was like… something a normal person would do.

This time Chloe let Clark pick the movie, not that she liked it, but she didn't have time to go to a video rental. Clark just picked a random romantic comedy, feeling he was doing something nice for Chloe since she had been through a date from hell and then he arrived at her house.

"Come right in!" Chloe opened the door for him with a smile on her face. "I just made popcorn!"

"Great," Clark said and begun climbing upstairs, straight to her room.

"Your dad's home?" he asked on noticing how quiet the house was.

Chloe just shook her head.

"He's on a business trip."

"And how are you? Alright?"

"Clark," Chloe rolled her eyes, "I admit being chased by a werewolf, but it was like a week ago." She shrugged. "Nothing in this town will surprise me anymore and since another boy I dated turned out to be meteor infected, I just decided to stop dating until I will be in college. That way they won't be freaks."

"They'll still be freaks," Clark teased her, "only in different matters."

Chloe shot him a look and disappeared into the kitchen just to follow him to her room a few minutes later with a huge bowl of popcorn.

"You were strangely quiet about Lana recently," she said when Clark pushed a button on the remote control and the movie started.

"Because there is really nothing to say," he admitted. "I told you, I thought she was different."

Chloe looked at him carefully from aside.

"Are you alright?" she asked again. "I know that girls are supposed to be moping around or something when things don't work out, but still…"

"I'm fine. It just felt… weird at first," Clark admitted. "You know, finally seeing her for who she really is. I can't believe I was so blind."

Chloe chuckled.

"Welcome to the dating world. We all think that once in a while."

"The movie's starting," Clark noticed pointing the screen.

"How insightful," Chloe teased. "Alright then, let's see if this time you chose something worth watching."

"Hey!" Clark felt offended. "I tried!"

"I know." Chloe laughed.

Only soon, she stopped laughing.

Clark still couldn't choose a good movie. Or maybe the comedy was actually good, but Chloe couldn't enjoy it properly, because it got too personal out of a sudden.

It was about a guy who was pining after the most popular and beautiful girl, then changed himself completely for her to please her. His best friend, a girl who was naturally in love with him, noticed it and they had a huge fight. Then the movie ended with the guy realizing who he really loved and he left the empty girl by the altar to chase his best friend who was just leaving town.

When the movie ended, there was silence.

Chloe started wondering how long she and Clark hadn't been talking to each other now. An hour? An hour and a half what meant a whole movie?

"Well, it's decided," Chloe finally spoke, her voice sounding like it didn't belong to her. "You can't choose a movie."

She looked at him from aside and he looked at her. There was something different in that look, she thought. _He_ was looking at her differently like he saw her for the very first time. Like he really saw her.

And then she was stunned when his face found itself closer and he kissed her.

For a moment there Chloe couldn't move, couldn't even kiss him back. She felt too much in that moment and couldn't find herself in all that feelings. Then she realized Clark was doing something she had wanted since the moment she had met him and she kissed him back.

As she did so, she realized what they were doing, who they were and what their history was.

"Wait…" Chloe almost whispered as she was out of breath. Her heart was beating so loud she was afraid he might hear it and her cheeks were burning. In fact, she was flushed all over, eyes still closed. She took a deep breath, trying to think clearly.

Clark actually did hear her heartbeat, but it was thanks to his powers. When he had been kissing her he had lost control over his senses, so his superhearing picked that.

"I…" Chloe started and then, she finally opened her eyes. "I don't think it's a good idea," she said. "You're rebounding," she added.

It wasn't easy for her to say that, but she believed it to be true. Why else would Clark out of the sudden just kiss her?

"From whom?" he asked, frowning like he was thinking hard.

"From Lana?" Chloe prompted, wondering if there was something wrong with him.

"Lana?" Clark added. "You've got to be kidding me! Chloe, I hate when my dad is right, but he usually is and he was right about Lana all along. I just didn't want to listen. I needed to see it for myself and I did, I told you that!"

"Ok, so how do you explain wanting her one week and then me the other?" Chloe asked. She didn't feel strong at the moment. Everything inside her was screaming at her to stop questioning him and to just go with it, whatever it was. Just kiss him again and see what would happen. Only she was scared too. She was scared her heart would end up broken. She also couldn't lose Clark. What if he decided to try this today, but the next week he would want to be friends again? She wouldn't, couldn't do it. It would never be the same once the line was crossed. She just couldn't lose her friend.

"I… I didn't think about it, Chloe, it just… happened," Clark said.

"Exactly. It happened because of this stupid movie _you _chose!" she raised her voice, hurt. She wish she wouldn't start crying. "If you decide that you would like to try this, to be something… something more one day… ok, we can, but I will not do anything when you're clearly acting on the spur of the moment."

"I'm not…" Clark started, but then he stopped and sighed. "Chloe, let's start over. I always liked you and you were my best friend, only recently, I think I'm seeing you in a completely different light."

"Recently meaning how long?"

"I don't know… I just…"

"Just forget it, Clark." She rolled her eyes.

"Chloe!" he called after her when she jumped off the bed and retrieved the DVD from the player.

"What? What do you want from me?!" She turned back to him and whether she liked it or not, she had tears in her eyes. "I can't do this like this. You need to sleep on it. You need to think it through. It's obvious I more than like you, Clark, you always knew that deep down inside, I can tell. But I don't care about it now. I just don't want to lose you and that is exactly what will happen if we rash into things."

* * *

Clark came back home with a throng of thoughts. He had never actually realized that Chloe might have had feelings for him. He knew that she had had a silly crush on him once, in the freshmen year, but he thought she was over it. Apparently, it had grown into something more.

How could he not notice this before?

And how could he not notice how wonderful she was?

She had everything he would love his potential girlfriend to have. She was smart, funny, she understood him, was there for him, was his friend. She was beautiful and he also just started to see it now as he got over the Lana stage. It was like a fog was lifted from his eyes and he could finally see the world. Sometimes even a person with XRay vision could be blind. What more, with Chloe he could actually see the future. Maybe someday he would be able to trust her with his secret. With Lana he would never be, he knew it.

Was it possible that he realized that he felt for Chloe? That he wanted her to be his?

He was still so confused by all this freshly discovered feelings that he realized she had been right again. He laughed when he did so. She always knew better than he did. She knew he should sleep on it, think about it. And he would.

"Clark?" His mother just got to the kitchen he was standing in. She was wearing a robe and she just covered her mouth with her hand, yawning. "What are you doing in here with no lights on?" She turned them on and looked at his face. "Are you alright? You looked like you had a fever…" She got to him fast and put her hand on his forehead.

"I'm fine, mum. I'm not sick. I can't even get sick."

"That is not true. You can," Martha protested.

"Mum, I've just been with Chloe. I'm not in any danger."

Martha paled.

"What is it, mum?" Clark asked.

"You might not be in danger, but… was she?" Martha suddenly asked.

At first Clark had no idea what she was talking about and then as the realization hit him, he was left petrified.

"Mum!"

"What? I'm just asking."

"So you knew?" Clark asked, even more surprised.

"Knew about what, my son?" She pulled a chair for herself and sat in it.

"That Chloe has feelings for me," Clark prompted.

"Of course I knew, mothers always know such things. The question is, do you?"

"I… think so… but it hit me out of the sudden and… I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"Then take it slow," his mother advised. "First, just start spending more time with her. Maybe ask her to prom."

"To prom? Like that doesn't seem big," Clark noticed.

"It's not bigger than you two suddenly dating. You need to move slow and see where this might go and if you want it to go somewhere. Something tells me that it will."

"Because you're my mother and you just know?"

"Second drawer on your left, last page of my cook book," Martha told him. "Look at it."

Clark did as she asked, wondering what he would find there.

It was a wrinkled and folded piece of paper. It looked like someone had crumpled it and thrown out and then smoothed out again to keep it.

"Open it," Martha said.

Clark did so.

_"I__I want to let you in on a secret, Clark. I'm not who you think I am. In fact, my disguise is so thin…"_

As Clark kept on reading, his expression kept changing drastically.

"When… how…?" he stammered when he was done and he raised his eyes to his mother's.

The letter was beautiful and painfully sad. In fact, it was heartbreaking. It was a love letter. The truth Chloe had never had the courage to tell him.

"You had it and didn't show me?!" Clark suddenly got angry.

When had Chloe left it for him? Had he meant to see it? Had he hurt her because he hadn't read it?

"Clark, calm down. Chloe didn't leave it for you," Martha told him.

"Then what happened?" he asked and fell in a chair next to his mum.

"Remember when you had a fever? When I dag in the cellar and got infected with kryptonite?"

"You nearly died in hospital," Clark said, "and then the ship healed you and me."

"Exactly. When you had a fever Chloe came to see you. Jonathan was at home back then and he gave you two some privacy. I found this letter crumpled in the trash right after I came back home from the hospital. I never dared ask Chloe about it, it didn't feel right, but Jonathan told me she ran out of here pretty fast. She must have read it to you and you probably didn't give her the answer she wanted."

"What could I say?" Clark asked his mother. "I was feverish. I wasn't thinking. I don't even remember it."

"Whatever it was, it hurt her, so if you want to try being something more than friends with her, you need to be sure, Clark. She is a wonderful girl with such a great potential. I always felt like she was my daughter, so I will not stand her suffering anymore because of you."

"I never intended to…" Clark started, but Martha interrupted him.

"I know, son, I know." She placed her hand on his that was still holding the letter. "I'm just asking you to be careful. The letter is yours, you can keep it, but maybe do not show it to Chloe just yet. Maybe it would be better if you didn't tell her you have this."

"Someday I will have to."

"That day hasn't come yet, Clark. Now… I think we both need some sleep, don't you?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

When he saw her the Monday morning in the Torch, he wasn't sure what to say or do. It was like everything changed. He had kissed her the other night and then he had found out about the letter she had written to him.

He knew she had no way of knowing that the letter survived, but still, he felt like just one look would be enough for her to tell what he was hiding. It wasn't his usual secret, it was something more now and he felt like he had it painted all over his face.

"Oh, hi, Clark." Chloe finally noticed him and he could have sworn she blushed.

"Hi…" he answered feeling like a complete idiot. "Chloe, I was thinking…" he started.

"Oh, don't, Clark, just… don't bother. I know what you're going to say," she interrupted him, looking up at him from her chair by the computer and she sipped her morning latte from a plastic cub. "It's really ok. I know you didn't think clearly and you thought that it was a good idea at the time to kiss me, but…"

"Wait, what?" Clark felt more confused than ever. He thought that maybe the statement that women were complicated was true, because he could not understand Chloe right now.

"I just assumed you were going to apologize and ask to be just fiends again," Chloe finished. "Weren't you?"

Or maybe it wasn't that hard to understand? Clark thought. He had an idea of what she was doing and he wouldn't let her. They had been circling this for years now, he realized. Every time they had been getting closer than usual, Chloe had been there, shutting him off, telling him it would be better if they remained just friends.

Only it didn't make sense if she felt the way she felt. And he knew what she felt from the letter.

"Is that some kind of a defense mechanism?" Clark suddenly asked and Chloe choked on her coffee.

He would go over to her and pat her back, but he was afraid he would hurt her. With his powers even the idlest touch could be dangerous.

"Why… why would you… oh, for Christ's sake! Alright! I'm scared, Clark. Happy?"

"Me too," he admitted and that surprised her even more. He walked over to her and sat on the chair next to hers. "Only fear will never lead us anywhere. You are Chloe Sullivan, the bravest reporter I know."

She smiled to him and he discovered how much he loved the sight of it. He watched her happy green eyes, the soft locks around her face, felt the heat coming off her body.

"You won't hesitate to jump right ahead into a potentially dangerous situation to get a story, but you're so afraid when we are getting close."

"And you won't hesitate to keep helping people out when they're in danger," Chloe retorted, "even when that might endanger you too. Yet, when it comes to your…"

"Hey, I actually did something about that," Clark cut in, pretending to be offended.

"Yeah, and it was really smooth. First dating Lana and then, when it didn't work out, kissing me."

"Is that what you think? That I kissed you because it didn't work out with Lana? Chloe, you know that I don't really feel for Lana. I've never had."

"But you would never notice me if you didn't realize it," she said bitterly.

"I'm sorry," Clark apologized. "I really am. I can't tell you what could've happened. I can only apologize. But I'm also sure that eventually, I would've seen how amazing you are and stopped pining for Lana even if I hadn't gone out with her. Is this honest enough for you?"

"What are you saying?" Chloe suddenly asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I slept on it just like you wanted me to and I am sure that I want to go out with you," Clark said.

For a moment there Chloe was speechless and felt the sudden urge to pinch herself.

"And I thought," Clark continued when he realized he would not get a response from her, "I could take you to the prom."

"The… the prom?" Chloe repeated like she wanted to make sure she heard it right.

"Yeah," Clark admitted. "Will you go with me?"

She thought about it again. It was Clark asking her to prom, Clark doing what she had dreamt of him doing, but then… could she trust this? Dreams usually didn't go true. Not those kind of dreams. It was one thing to dream of becoming a reporter and doing everything in one's power to achieve it and completely another when dreaming of a boy. A person couldn't just make somebody love them.

Only if she didn't take that chance with Clark, no matter how important their friendship was to her, she would always regret it. She had to take it. She preferred this to living with regrets. It was now or never.

"Yes, Clark," she found herself saying and smiled genuinely to him, "I'll go to prom with you." She couldn't hide her happiness now. She was beaming.

"I'm so happy you will," Clark smiled too, couldn't hold back.

And they were just sitting there, grinning to each other like a pair of idiots.

* * *

"I can't believe it!" Chloe exclaimed. "Clark, it's some kind of a nightmare!" She just stood there, in front of the board in the school hall, frowning at her own picture.

"I think it's wonderful, Chloe," Clark said, trying to boost her self-esteem. "Just think about it. They chose you, because you represent something to them, to us all. You are beautiful, that one goes without saying," he started and she actually laughed, waiting for him to keep on talking. She must have been having fun by now. "And then you're this smart girl who never cared about any title. You're doing what you love and you don't do anything to be popular, you don't try hard to make people like you, they just… do. For me, you're the perfect candidate for a prom queen."

"I could kiss you right now, you know?" Chloe laughed.

"Oh, great, why don't you two just get a room?" they heard a spiteful voice from behind them that belonged to Lana Lang.

"Oh, excuse me, have we done something to offend you?" Chloe turned to her, asking. "If I recall correctly, you were the one making out with your boyfriend during the principle's speech for the end of the last school year."

Clark laughed and Lana shot him a look that could kill.

"I expected better from you, Clark," she said and stormed off to her class.

"Alright, what's her problem?" Clark got interested.

"Isn't it obvious?" Chloe sighed. "Her pride is hurt, because believe me, it's not her heart. You dumped her for me. That what happened and that is her problem."

"Well, every man in his right mind would choose you," Clark told Chloe and put his arms around her.

"Alright, when I said I hated people groping in public, I meant it," Chloe snapped at him and walked toward the Torch.

"Chloe, you can beat her," Clark told her as he caught up with her.

"How? Everybody loves Lana. No one will choose me over her."

"If you play them right, they will," Clark said, very sure of himself. "What I just said about you being the perfect choice was true, Chloe. All the people tired of popularity contests will vote for you. And don't you forget your last week article."

"I think that article is what got me into this situation. I was strongly against any popularity contests."

"And that is people's protest!" Clark went on and Chloe looked at him both with surprise and admiration. "They want you to be their queen, because they are tired of empty barbies who… what?" Clark stopped and just now realized the funny look on Chloe's face.

"Nothing, I just…" Chloe started, smiling. "That's so sweet of you, Clark. I like how you just spoke of me." The she raised on her tiptoes and kissed him briefly on the lips.

"What about public display of affection?" he asked, a little dazed from the kiss, even if it was just a brush of her lips against his.

"I can make an exception from time to time, just for you." Chloe winked at him.

* * *

It must be the craziest night in her life, Chloe thought. Or some bizarre dream she would wake up from soon enough.

It just wasn't possible for her to be so lucky and so happy.

Not that she hadn't been happy with her life before. She had been happy that she had the talent for writing and that she was actually getting somewhere with her future career.

Only this was beyond what she could work for herself. This was all the other people doing something for her.

She came to the prom with Clark. One dream coming true. She never expected there would be something else surprising her this night. She just wanted to get through it and never see Clark leave her.

It was until she was crowned the queen.

She could just stand there, in the crowd, pale and shocked. There was silence as every single pair of eyes was fixed on her.

Then she felt Clark's nudge on her back. He wanted to make her move, to get up on that stage and accept the crown.

Finally, he went up there with her, because naturally, he was chosen the king.

The crowd started cheering for Chloe, so she finally woke up and took the crown.

She was standing on the stage, looking at all her classmates and the other familiar faces and felt like she would cry.

They did it for her, they had listened to her, they had read her article and taken it to their hearts. That meant they kept on reading her other articles too. And here she thought Smallville High students just bought the paper for entertainment sections, menus and jokes.

"Thank you," she started talking, because it finally hit her that she would have to deliver a speech. And she felt like she had nothing to say. "Oddly enough for a writer, I seem not to have any words for this," she said and the crowd laughed. They did not laugh to mock her, they laughed because she made a joke and they liked it. They really liked _her. _"It's an honor to be able to stand here, in front of you. It really is. I know most of you think that I do not care about popularity contests as I said in my article and that is still true, but this is something else. I never tried hard to be popular and as my… boyfriend," she looked at Clark, couldn't believe she actually called him that, but what else they were now? Friends did not kiss. "He told me that you chose me, because you were tired of those kind of things. Tired of being pushed around and mocked by those who were more popular than most of you and I became a kind of symbol of a rebellion for you."

Some of the guys in the crowd shouted to Chloe that she was a babe and beautiful.

She laughed.

"Thanks, that's very nice of you to think I have a pretty face," they laughed again, "but I never fought for your attention and never thought there was much meaning to this," she pointed her crown, "so thank you so much for standing with me on this. Thank you for rebelling, for standing up for yourself. Today we should say no to bullying, no to people who believe themselves to be better than others when they're really not. Today we fight for us and we are friendly to each other. Everyone deserves that. Thank you."

The crowd started cheering so loud that Chloe could say no more, but she couldn't anyway.

Clark took her into his arms and hugged her.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered into her ear and led her out of the stage to a dancing floor.

"It's all your fault! This is over! We're not together anymore! You ruined me!" they heard coming from Lana who was just pushing Whitney away from her, then she actually growled, stomped her feet and stormed off the room.

"I think you should add a gossip column to the Torch," Clark advised Chloe, obviously joking. "I just found a person to fill an entire page every week."

Chloe poked him in the side, laughing.

"Don't temp me."

* * *

**AN **I loved the episode with the prom and Chloe winning the crown in Smallville, but as much as Dawn-ghost was fun, I was kind of disappointed that Chloe did not get to the stage to deliver a speech, so… here it is! A perfect prom for our favorite reporter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

"Chloe, just relax," Clark told his girlfriend once they got to the lake and she still sat over her laptop with the slight difference that now she had her bathing suit on and not her usual clothes like from back in her house.

He reached out and grabbed the laptop from her laps, then shut it down.

"Hey…!" Chloe started, but was shut up by his lips grazing against her, kissing her deeply.

When they parted, she was flushed and was breathing heavily.

"What did I say about…" she started, but Clark stopped her.

"No one's interested in what we're doing. They're enjoying their free time. Chloe, we've just graduate high school. You ought to relax a little."

"Relax?!" Chloe raised her voice. "Relax?! I need to have a story and then I need to write a perfect article for the Daily Planet. Otherwise they won't hire me."

"I thought it was an internship."

"Yes, but it's a paid one and if I'm good enough, I can hope for a job later."

"And I'm very sure you'll get it. You're the best," Clark said and this time started kissing her neck.

"Maybe here, but in Metropolis there are hundreds of Chloes Sullivan."

"There is only one. Right here," Clark teased her. "Let's go." He stood up.

"Where?" She frowned.

"To swim." He reached his hand to her. "Oh, come on, Chloe. This should be the summer of our lives. We're together. We've graduated."

She looked up at him and held her breath, because he looked so hot in swim trunks. So… so… HOT.

She stood up and he suddenly swoop her into his arms, she squealed as he carried her to the water and then got in with her still in his arms.

"Am I really so light that you can just carry me and not get tired?" Chloe asked as she finally found the ground beneath her feet. It was so hot today that getting into the lake was, indeed, a good idea.

"Are you thinking about your weight again?" Clark asked in exasperated voice. "Chloe, to me you're perfect." He bent down and kissed her. Soon enough she jumped and put her legs around his waist, still kissing him.

They wandered further into the lake than any of the teenagers spending their time there as well and they couldn't stop kissing.

Chloe felt hot again, even though the water was supposed to be cooling her. She felt Clark's hard body against hers, his smooth chest, his strong arms around her, his hand holding the back of her head as he was kissing her deeply. Then she felt something else, her body responded to him, her nipples were tight and their shape was visible through the thin fabric of her swim suit, also the centre of her, that was in contact with Clark's abdomen, felt wetter and wetter. Yes, she was in the water, but this was different. This indicated she was ready. She even wanted this to happen. Not here, of course, but soon enough somewhere else, preferably in bed.

Then Clark suddenly pulled away and as he did so, Chloe plunged into the water, losing the contact with his body.

"What the hell was that?!" she sputtered toward him. Had she been grazing herself against him? But even if, so what? It was natural, wasn't it? And he should have liked it!

"Chloe…" he started and stopped. "Chloe, I… I want to say…" His face was red now, but not from the closeness like before. Now it was clearly because of embarrassment.

"I understand if you're not ready," Chloe said. "But you let things go so far… I just thought…" Now she was the one who felt embarrassed. Maybe he didn't need her as much as she needed, even craved, for him?

"It's not that," Clark said to her astonishments. "I… I'm sorry, Chloe. I don't think I can do this anymore." After having said that he just retreated, came back to the beach while she stood still in the very same place he left her.

Now she felt more than embarrassed. She felt mortified. He had told her she was perfect, but then he had refused to get close with her. Why? She wasn't really perfect, she knew that, but could she be that repulsive? Is he wasn't into her then why he had been dating her in the first place? It couldn't be to get back at Lana. Clark had always been Chloe's best friend and she couldn't imagine him betraying her, dating her just for fun. They had had a great few weeks. The prom. The coronation. Now this vacations. What had happened?

He broke her heart. That what happened.

He did exactly what she was afraid he would.

* * *

He had tried to talk to her once she had got back to their place on the beach, but she had just pushed him away and left. She had shouted something back, probably that she had needed to be alone or to work on her article.

Now she was sitting in the Talon, her laptop opened and connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, but she couldn't come up with a good enough idea. What would interest the Daily Planet? What could she do to earn herself the spot in there? They had loved her work on the Torch and her style, but still, it wasn't enough. They needed something more. They needed an article.

Unfortunately, all Chloe could do now was to start crying.

"You know," she suddenly heard a voice that could only make this day much, much worse for her. Apparently, that was possible. It wasn't enough that she had just got her heart broken. "Word of advice, stay away from Clark. I think he just wants to have fun and then he ditches you." That was Lana Lang. "He's one of those types." She didn't wait for Chloe's answer. She clearly felt like she did the right thing in saying that and 'helping' her fellow classmate and she left the shop.

Chloe just hid her face in her hands and then she left too, not even finishing her coffee. Something that was so unlike her.

* * *

"What happened?" asked Martha when Clark came back home, looking like he had the whole world on his shoulders.

"Nothing," he mumbled under his nose and walked over to the fridge to get some orange juice.

"This doesn't look like nothing. To me it looks like a girlfriend trouble." Martha would not let it go. She wanted her son to be happy above all things.

"How do you know it's not one of _my _problems?" Clark asked.

"Your face looks differently when it is," she went on.

"Mum!"

"Don't mum me, Clark. Just sit down and tell me what's the matter."

"Well… it's kind of embarrassing, so I'm not comfortable with talking to you about it." He did sit down though.

"Is it about sex?" Martha asked so casually that Clark nearly spilled the juice.

"Mum!"

"Well, is it? Don't be embarrassed. You're old enough. I know we never had the talk, but I and your father figured… well…"

"That I will never be able to do this?" Clark guessed. "And that is exactly my problem. What if I can't?"

"Well…"

"I mean," Clark corrected fast, "I'm just worried that if I let things go too far, I will hurt Chloe and I will never be able to live with myself if I do."

"I'm sorry, Clark," Martha's voice softened and she took the chair next to him, then placed her hand on his shoulder. "I wish you didn't have to go through with this. It's not enough for you to just have the usual problems, you have to have all those others, connected to your powers. It must be tough."

"It's killing me."

"You have to live with responsibilities that even some adults would never be able to handle and I am proud of the way you're doing it."

"But what if I never be able to be… human?" he finished awkwardly. "I can tell Chloe the truth. I wanted from some time now, but what will be the point? What if I will never be able to fully be with her? She doesn't deserve it, mum."

"Well, first of all, you should leave this decision to her instead of trying to make the choice for her," Martha started, "and second of all, maybe with time, you will be able to control yourself to… well, be with her? Maybe you just need some practice? You can hold her hand, can't you? Then why not try more?"

"Holding hands don't make me feel… like I'm about to be out of control," Clark admitted, blushing a little.

"Well, it feels that way to any one of us. It's about losing that control."

"You see? I'll never be able to fit in."

"Have faith, Clark. Just have faith."


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

She was in big trouble. Even more serious than the trouble she was usually in.

Maybe she was desperate for that article, but it still wasn't an excuse. She was carless, she didn't think. It was all her boyfriend's… or maybe she should say ex-boyfriend's (?) fault. She was distracted and miserable and the only way to take her thoughts away from that pain was to focus on something else like writing an article. Or looking for a story for that matter.

She had been so stupid, she thought now.

She didn't know what there actually was in this lab, but armed men were chasing her down the corridor right this moment.

She knew she should have been more careful when breaking into LuthorCorp's facility. She should have just asked for an interview or for a story for the Daily Planet. Only neither Lionel nor Lex would give her one that would put her on a payroll, if any.

She tried to be faster. She thought she knew where to go to the exit and maybe, just maybe, she would be lucky and they would not catch her.

She knew she was wrong once she heard a gunshot.

_Oh my god, I'm going to die, _she realizedwith horrification. She was in too big of a shock to even understand that in a moment she might stop existing.

There was a gunshot and she knew it would be hard to miss for those men when they were in such a small and long corridor. One of those bullets would hit her back and…

She felt like she was swept off her feet and suddenly, she was put down, on some soft ground. Her knees buckled under her and then a strong pair of hands held her up, so she would not fall down.

"Wh… what?" she asked, stammered and looked in the eye of the person that saved her. "Clark?!" Now she had completely no strength left in her body and he had to hold her tighter so she would not find herself on the ground.

Her hands clenched on his arms as she realized that she was so weak and then she looked around. They were in a forest, far away from the LuthorCorp facility.

"How did we get here so fast?" she asked, dumfounded. Her eyes opened widely and were now looking at Clark.

"I wish I could just tell you the truth in a different way, but as always, you got yourself in trouble!" Clark raised his voice.

"No need to yell at me!" she huffed and pushed him away, finally managing to stand on her own.

"Really? Chloe, you could die!" Clark screamed. "Do you understand?! I could lose you! What if I didn't get there on time?!"

She just stood there, looking at him and not understanding a thing.

"First of all, how the hell did you save me, and second of all, I thought you didn't care about me! You left me!"

"I never left you!"

"Yes, you did! You pushed me away!"

"I tried to explain on the beach, but you wouldn't listen!"

She suddenly frowned and backed away from him, but then she got close again and focused on the small hole in his jacket.

"Is that… Clark, is that a bullet hole?" she asked, feeling dizzy again. "Clark, you've got shot!"

"No, I haven't," he told her, trying to be calm. "Chloe, this is what I wanted to tell you. This is the reason I thought we couldn't get too close. It's all about my secret."

"Your… secret?" she repeated, trying to put it all together. "You're meteor infected! Of course you didn't want me to know! You were afraid I would reject you! Here I was, keep talking about those 'freaks' while you were one of them the whole time! So your skin is impenetrable?" she asked, stunned and touched the place when the bullet hit. There was nothing there, just skin.

"Not exactly," Clark said. He should have known she would reach that conclusion first. "I'm not meteor infected, Chloe. I'm the very reason for it."

"I'm no following," she admitted.

"My feelings for you haven't changed," he assured her, deciding it would be the best way to start. "I love you, Chloe."

There was silence. They both just now realized he said those word for the very first time and it almost knocked Chloe out again.

"Oh… Clark… I… I love you too, but I guess you know that already."

"I think I do," he admitted. "I just want you to know that there is nothing I want more than you and believe me, I wouldn't have pushed you way that day in the lake if I'd known I wouldn't hurt you."

"I don't understand again," she said, clearly exasperated about that. She was usually quick with connecting the dots. After all, she was a reporter.

"My coming to Earth caused the meteor shower which caused the infection. Those people acquired powers because of me."

There was silence for a few seconds again as Chloe thought hard, trying to process it all.

"Are you… Are you trying to tell me that… you're not exactly from Kansas?"

"Chloe, I'm not even from this planet," Clark answered.

She was quiet for another moment and finally, she said one word, "Wow."

"Wow?" Clark asked, dumbfounded. "You have nothing else to say to me? Aren't you afraid? Aren't you mad at me?"

"Well, it would've been better if you'd said something before we started dating, but I won't hold it against you. I understand it must've been hard to admit it, especially to me, a reporter, but… Clark, you should've known your secret would always be safe with me. I wouldn't use that even if it was my last chance to get a job at the Planet."

He almost laughed.

"I wasn't afraid of that," he told her. "I just care about you too much, Chloe. In the past I was just afraid, I thought I needed to keep that to myself all my life and then, when I wanted to tell you… we started dating and… well, it kind of seemed too late."

"You don't need to worry about me thinking of you differently, I…" She staggered and he caught her again. "Sorry, it's just… it's just finally got to me. You're an alien… My boyfriend is an alien. I'm in love with an alien."

"Do you mind?" Clark asked. "I don't really like the sound of it as you say it this way."

To his astonishment, Chloe laughed.

"Clark, this is awesome!"

"Really?" She surprised him, he had to give her that. "Why?"

"This is me, plain Chloe Sullivan who was always in love with her best friend and then he loved her back and guess what? She found out that he's an alien! It all makes me feel… well, pretty special."

"You were never plain," Clark denied, but she just waved her hand.

"And you can protect me. How many times did you save my life? Wait! Don't tell me! You saved me from my werewolf date!"

"Well, true."

"And then when Lionel's people found me before his trial! And… Oh my god… it all makes sense now! All those weird happenings in Smallville! All those savings and you always there, in the heart of it, but I never had any evidence or suspicions… now I finally know why you're always there when someone's in trouble. Nothing can hurt you, right?"

"Yes."

"So you basically are bulletproof and apparently, you can move very fast," Chloe counted. "How else would you get me out of that lab facility?"

"There's few other things…" Clark said, suddenly not really comfortable with sharing it all with her.

"What other things? I want to know!"

"Well… I can hear very well and… I can shoot fire from my eyes…"

She covered her mouth with her hands.

"Really?"

"Yeah… In fact, I can see through solid objects…"

"Wait a sec…"

"No, don't worry!" he quickly added. "I never tried to look under other people's clothes! That would be so wrong!"

"Well, you're lucky, because you're probably the only guy I can believe in that matter."

"Chloe, are you alright?" Clark made sure again, watching her closely.

She didn't answer. She just walked purposely toward him, raised on her tiptoes and put her arms around his neck. That still wasn't enough as she was much smaller than he was, so he just smiled and raised her up, making it possible for her to kiss him like she wanted.

"How could I not be alright?" she asked when they parted. "My boyfriend's a superhero. I'm more than alright! I'm happy you're finally honest with me, but… wait… one more thing… why did you push me away? That is still not clear."

"I was afraid that if we got too far, I would hurt you," he admitted, feeling a little embarrassed. "Chloe, I could crush you or rip you in a half if I wanted. I have no way of knowing whether I would be able to control myself enough when we… you know."

She watched his face, wondering.

"So…" she finally started after a few seconds, "does it mean… we'll never…"

"I don't know. I don't want to lie to you. I really have no idea and I don't want you to waste yourself waiting for me. You should go out there, have a normal boyfriend, do things with him that you can't do with me. You shouldn't have to watch yourself like you have to with me. If we go too far… I'm not willing to get that chance. Not now when I know I can't control my powers the way I would like to."

"You're silly, you know that?" Chloe asked him to his surprise. "I'm not some horny teenager who can't keep her pants on… well, that usually applies to men, so I say a skirt on. I can wait, Clark. There's no rush. I am happy that you're honest with me and that's all I need. Well, besides the knowledge that you do love me."

"I do. I really do," he told her.

"Alright then."

"But I don't want you to wait forever," he added. "I can't promise you that I'll get a hold on this powers some day. It may never happen."

"We'll figure something out, Clark. Don't worry about it now."

"I don't want you to ever get hurt because of me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Well, can you live away from me? Can you just break up with me now?" she asked and by the look on his face she could as well answer for him. "No. Exactly. Neither do I. We would just have to cope somehow."

"You know I don't deserve this," he said.

She shrugged. "If any guy deserves this, it's you, Clark. You're the most decent guy I know."


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

They never anticipated that a serious relationship without the sex part could be so hard.

They loved each other and they wanted nothing more than to be together, but with every time they kissed, every time they even saw each other or were spending some time together, it was getting worse and worse.

They were adults now. Even if they could not drink legally yet, they were both eighteen and the more serious their relationship was getting, the more they needed to find some outlet.

Only there was no outlet available for them.

They both started fantasizing about each other, about their first time together, even against their wills. Clark usually woke up all worked up from dreaming about the curves on Chloe's body and he needed to get a cold shower. Chloe had the very same problem in the morning. Not that it was necessary for her to get a cold one since her arousal could not be seen like Clark's, but still, she was constantly trying to get rid of the blushes on her face. Even thinking of Clark's muscular body under his shirt made her feel hot.

They both knew they would explode if nothing happened between them, but they also both respected and loved each other not to say anything. Chloe preferred to go through all those frustrations than to break up with Clark. She loved him too much. Clark, on the other hand, felt guilty, because he knew she was patiently waiting for him to learn how to control himself, when in fact, he thought he had less and less control with every single day.

Friday night they went to the cinema and just held hands, although in their position even the darkness was alluring and making them hot.

Later when Clark saw Chloe off to her house, he kissed her. What was meant to be gentle and idle turned out into a heated session of kissing that suddenly ended on the couch in Chloe's living room. Good thing no one but them was home.

Bad thing they didn't stop on time

Clark stopped thinking clearly. Maybe it was true that men thought with what they had in their pants, because right now he felt tightness in them as he got hard and his hands suddenly slid under Chloe's blouse and undid her bra.

She moaned into his mouth and she grazed herself against his crouch as she was straddling him. Then the bra was off the way and Clark's hands covered her breasts.

"Clark, oh my… yes… Clark…" Chloe suddenly uttered, getting completely lost in feeling. He was all she had ever wanted and she loved him so dearly. How many people in such a young age could tell they found love? She could. And she had no intention of ever letting it go.

As he was busy stroking her nipples with his thumbs, she, all shaking over him, slid her hands under his t-shirt and pull it off him.

He needed to raise his hands for that, so he lost the touch of her in the process and then he felt a cold waft of air on his chest.

That woke him up.

"Oh God, Chloe!" he raised his voice, terrified and pushed her away, standing up, speeding to the other side of the room where he clenched on the window sill until it almost came off in his hands. He was breathing so hard like he had just ran a marathon. "Chloe, we can't."

She crumbled on hearing that, he could tell. She just sat there on the couch, still disoriented, holding on to her bra that started coming off her blouse. Her nipples were still erected and Clark could see the outline of them through the thin fabric.

In fact, if he wanted, he could see the whole her, naked, but he would never X-ray her. Never.

"I'm so sorry," he just said and ran out of the house, speeding to the farm. He could no longer stand this tension. Sexual tension. She was all worked up, breathless and delicious, waiting for him to be taken and he ran. He had no choice. He would not be able to live with himself if he hurt her. He was scared that he might have left bruises on her breasts already. How hard had he squeezed them?

His erection did not go away this time. He could not stand it anymore either. It was getting painful.

Why couldn't they have a relationship without the sex part? He thought. They had been so naïve thinking they could.

Clark almost hated himself for what he did, but he had no choice. He was done taking cold showers and thinking about dead puppies. He needed to come. At least once.

He listened on, made sure his parents were sleeping hard and then he came over to his barn and took off his pants.

When he started jerking himself off, all he could think of was the feeling of Chloe's breasts, of her delicate skin, how she had been grazing herself against him, almost making him come in his pants...

And that did it. He was so far gone. So in love with her that he didn't even have to think of actually making love to her. Just the memory, still so vivid in his head, pushed him over the edge.

Maybe it made him feel better physically, but he was still emotionally hurt. He also felt like a jerk.

Who would think… Usually girls were being pushed into sex too early by their boyfriends when he and Chloe seemed to have the exact opposite problem.

* * *

First thing Chloe did was to go into the shower, pour hot water on herself and touch herself.

Her hands, completely on their own, wandered to her chest as she stroked her nipples, remembering how Clark had done it. She imagined his hands there, then she started stroking her

* * *

clit and it was already so swollen that she came almost immediately.

Only it still wasn't enough. The faster she came, the more unsatisfied she actually was.

Her back hit the wall and she slid herself down against it, so she finally sat in the shower. Her arms flung around her bent knees and she just sat there, crying. Her tears mixing with the hot water.

She was in love. She was desperate. And she could not find an outlet.

What would she do? What would she have to do? If Clark didn't learn how to control himself, they would always have this white relationship. And it was getting harder and harder.

She knew that one day they could go too far and… he might hurt her. And then he would hate himself for the rest of his life.

How much would she give for him to be human? She thought bitterly. She knew it was selfish, but somehow those wonderful powers of his became a curse.

* * *

They were avoiding each other.

That what happened now. They didn't even have the courage to call the other to talk seriously. They knew it was over, but they didn't want to admit it.

It was killing them.

* * *

**AN **Any ideas how fate might allow them be together?


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

They didn't see each other often nowadays and once they did, they did not talk about what had happened between them. What was worse, they could not talk to anyone else, that would involve telling Clark's secret when it came to Chloe and Clark did not really want to have a sex conversation with his mum again. It still felt awkward to him, not to mention how awkward it would feel if he tried to talk to his father.

It hurt him and he was postponing it as much as he could, but he knew that eventually, he would have to break up with Chloe. He did not want this life for her. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted a guy for her that would be able to give her everything she needed, even it that involved bedroom activities.

He was just about to meet her for coffee and talk to her when something else happened.

Once he got to the Talon and sat in front of Chloe by the table, his heart plummeting to his stomach on the thought of what he had to do, he suddenly put his hands to his head in pain.

"Clark?" Chloe asked, clearly worried. "My god, Clark, what's happening to you?!"

She was immediately there, by his side, her loving hands on his that were still on his head.

"Clark, tell me what's happening," she pleaded. Fear evident in her voice. "You're scaring me."

He knew he had to go now before he would attract a crowd of people that would insist on taking him to a hospital.

"Jor-El… he needs me…" Clark just whispered with difficulty to Chloe and walked out of the Talon, then as he found himself alone, he speeded off to the farm to get a key to the caves and had a trip to the Arctic Fortress.

* * *

"Jor-El! What do you want from me?!" Clark got to the Fortress.

"Many things, Kal-El. For starters, you still have not agreed to the training that is so necessary for you to fully learn about your powers."

Suddenly, a thought came to Clark's mind. Would he be able to control himself better if he underwent a training? Could he trust Jor-El not to keep him here long? Could he risk months, maybe years of absence? That was selfish. Too selfish. He would not be able to ask Chloe to wait for him for so long.

"There is more urgent matter at hand now, Kal-El," Jor-El spoke before Clark managed to make up his mind.

"What is it?!"

"There is a second meteor shower coming."

"Wait… what?!"

"Two Kryptonians are coming to Earth, Kal-El, and you need to stop them. They are working for major Zod and they will try to bring you and everything else on this Earth down. They are not your friends. They are enemies."

"We need to stop it! There can't be another meteor shower!"

"Stopping it does not lie in my power, Kal-El. All you can do is to stop those Kryptonians. The meteor shower will strike Smallville in exactly twelve hours."

"I'll do everything I can!" Clark promised, because what else could he do?

"After you have succeeded, I will expect you here for training," Jor-El said. "You need to learn how to be responsible for your powers Kal-El and you also need to study your own history."

"I'll think about it."

"No, you will not. You will either obey me and get here right after taking care of those Kryptonians or you will suffer a great consequence."

Clark ignored him and speeded off back to Smallville, although he knew he would have to listen to Jor-El. The last thing he wanted was to put somebody he loved in danger.

An hour ago he had been planning on leaving Chloe for her own good and now, not only would he have to do that too, he would also have to defeat some Kryptonians and leave for god knew how long.

* * *

"Chloe!" Clark caught her as she was walking to the front door of his house.

"Clark!" she turned to him and before he knew it, she was hugging him, her arms around his neck as she jumped to him. He caught her in the air out of habit, but then he felt her close to him and he regretted that.

"There's no time, Chloe." He put her down. "I know you were worried and I'm sorry to take off like that, but there's something coming. There's another meteor shower on its way!"

"Wait… what?!" she raised her voice, her hands covering her mouth. "No! It can't be, Clark! It can't be! Meteor showers don't strike twice!... Actually, it's about lightenings, but still…"

"There's someone coming along with this one too. More than one."

"Your people?" Chloe got interested.

"No. They're enemies. Jor-El wants me to fight them and then… then he wants me to come back to the Fortress for training."

"Training?" Chloe repeated. Her fear and worry growing stronger with every second. "Clark, for how long?"

"I don't know and I'm sorry, but he told me that I'll suffer some great consequences if I don't show up. I don't want to risk anyone's safety, Chloe. I can't and I won't."

"I understand, I do," she told him. "But… when will I see you again?"

"I wish I knew… I know the timing right now is terrible, but I don't know if I manage to see you afterwards… Chloe, I can't ask you to wait for me."

"I will," she assured him with tears in her eyes. "You know I will! There's no one I can love but you, Clark! I'll wait even if I have to wait for years!"

"You're telling this now, Chloe, but…" He closed his eyes. God, why was this so hard? "If I don't come back soon… you will want to go on with your life. I love you and I always will, but I can't keep you waiting. Go and have a life, please. Do it for me."

"No, I won't! Clark!" she protested and he just kissed her.

They stood there, kissing. Maybe it was the last time, Clark didn't know, but he just needed to kiss her in case it was.

They were interrupted by a city alarm.

"They must know already," Clark said when he pulled away from Chloe. She remained in his arms though.

The door to the house opened and Martha Kent looked out.

"Clark? Chloe? What's happening?"

"Chloe, please, tell them everything and get out on time! As fast as you can! Pack all the necessary things and just run!" Clark yelled and speeded off.

"My god, what is he talking about?" Martha turned to Chloe, equally frightened now.

"There's no time, Mrs. Kent. We need to do as he asked! I'll tell you everything as we start packing!" Chloe said, wiping her tears and trying to be strong.

They needed to survive that meteor shower.

* * *

_Damn it, _Clark thought.

He had managed to get rid of those Kryptonians. They had wanted to throw him into some portal, but he had outsmarted them and they were the ones who had ended up in there. Then the portal had closed and Clark had been just about to go to Arctic.

Only Lana was lying on the floor, unconscious. Knocked out by the Kryptonians.

Clark had no idea what she had been doing here. Maybe she had thought she could lure them here to Lex's mansion, because he had seemed to have a stash of kryptonite?

Clark had almost fallen into a trap, but noticed those rocks just in time to avoid them.

Had Lex Luthor been experimenting on them? Had Lana been talking to him? Did they know about the meteor rocks and what they were doing to aliens?

Questions on top of questions.

Then Clark vaguely remembered how Lana had signed up for a special project in school just before final exams. It had improved her grades and she had talked to Lex back then about his experiments to have enough material for a paper.

That must have been it. And there was no time on dwelling. He needed to take her to a hospital since the whole mansion seemed to be abandoned. Lex Luthor had probably escaped in his chopper hours ago.

Clark picked Lana up from the floor and… something was definitely wrong.

Why she suddenly seemed to actually weight something? Why didn't she feel like a feather? Why did he…

Why did he _bleed_?

And then he realized.

_You will suffer a great consequence_


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 10**

Clark finally stood by the Talon apartment door.

A lot had happed in the last hour.

He had called 911, so an ambulance could take Lana to a hospital. They had wanted to take him too, but he had refused, telling them he was fine and needed to check on his parents.

Fortunately, the farm had not been struck by any meteor, so Martha and Jonathan could come back home as soon as the shower had stopped. They had not yet recovered from what Clark had told them when he had taken off to see Chloe.

Chloe's house had been struck by a meteor. It had not done a lot of damage, but Mr. Sullivan had apparently told Chloe to stay in the free apartment in the Talon until he would be back from his business trip and able to take care of the house repair.

Clark had found out that Chloe was in the Talon from his mother who had called him to tell him the news.

So here he was.

He had managed to shower and change his clothes, but he had not treated his injuries. He had been in too much of a rush to get to her when he had thought that he would never see her again or at least never be able to be with her again.

He ran up the stairs and knocked to the door.

And there she was, opening, then standing in the threshold, face pale as she was in shock that she saw him.

"Clark?" she asked in surprise and her eyes wandered over his face. It did not miss her attention that he was injured. He could still feel blood on his lower lip and a part of his eye was swollen, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was to just see her, make sure she was alright and just be with her. He finally could. And she had apparently been crying.

"What happened?" she asked and got to him, pressing her body into his chest and embracing him. His arms flung around her on their own. She was too small to reach his face and her head barely reached his chin.

Too small, too fragile, even more than most people, Clark suddenly realized as he was human now. He would never be able to do anything that could hurt her when he had had powers. She was too precious for him.

The door closed as he finally reached behind himself and grabbed the knob. No need for anyone down there in the Talon to see them.

"What happened?" Chloe asked again, pulling away to look at him once more. "Clark, you're hurt. Did those Kryptonians do this to you?"

"Well… yes and no…" Clark answered evasively and walked further into the room. "Do you have a first aid kit somewhere in here?"

"First aid…" she repeated after him, still dazed, but then she forced her mind to focus. "Yeah, it should be in the kitchen. I'll be right back."

He walked into the small living room and sat on the couch. He tired and his head was pounding. He thought it must be the very first time he had a headache, but he didn't mind. He welcomed it as long as he could be human.

Chloe was back with the first aid kit.

"Do you have some aspirin?" Clark asked. "For the headache?"

"Headache?" she repeated again, surprised. "Clark, why don't you just tell me what's going on?" She sat right next to him and opened the small box. "Here you go," she gave him the aspirin and a glass of water.

He swallowed and drunk and then he explained, "Jor-El said something about consequences and I think this is what he meant. At the beginning I was sure someone I love would get hurt, but I… I just lost my powers, Chloe. Maybe Jor-El thought it would be horrible for me, but… I'm great. I'm human."

She just sat there, gaping at him.

"You're…" she stammered, "you're human?" Her voice suddenly was so squeaky it didn't seem to belong to her.

"Yes, I'm human."

"Is it… just temporary or…"

"I don't know, but I'm not going back to the Fortress. I don't care about any powers or Krypton. All I want is to be human. I want to be with you." He covered her cheek with his hand and looked her in the eye.

"This is too good to be true," she finally said.

"Let's stop questioning it, Chloe. I'm human and I love you," he confessed. "I love you."

"I love you too," she told him, tears in her eyes. They were so close and she could feel the heat coming off of him. She wanted nothing more than to finally be with him. Not to stop when things got hotter, but… he was hurt and she needed to take care of that first.

"Clark, you have blood on your mouth and a swollen eye. Let's do something about that first."

He laughed.

"Alright, nurse Sullivan," he agreed and stilled, so she could take care of his wounds.

First she took an antiseptic and cleaned his lip, what earned her a few hisses.

"It pinches," Clark complained.

"Well, welcome to the real world," she teased him as she was looking closely at his eye. "This should be fine, it's just a little swollen… take off your shirt."

"Why?" Clark asked, looking at her from so close with flame in his eyes. Good thing that now he wasn't able to set her on fire.

She rolled her eyes. "To see if you're hurt," she told him. "Don't get any ideas."

He did as she asked and that did put ideas in her mind.

He seemed fine. Well, there was a bruise on his ribs, but as she checked, nothing was broken.

His skin was burning her and she found herself exploring something more than just his ribs. She ran her fingers through his chest, one of them grazing his nipple and Clark hissed again, this time not from pain.

Then he grabbed her head with his right hand and pulled her closer, so he could kiss her.

They crashed against each other as Clark slid from the couch to the floor to kneel before her as she was crouching. Their kisses grew deeper and deeper until Clark's mouth descended from her mouth to her neck and his hands found their way to her breasts. He slowly took off her blouse and she put her arms around his neck to be closer to him.

There was nothing there to stop them now, although she seemed to be so tiny and fragile in comparison to his built that he was being very careful. He had never been human before, he had always had powers, so he still needed to see how far in his strength he could go not to hurt her.

Her bra was soon taken off and Clark raised Chloe up and winced.

"Am I that heavy?" she asked in joking tone of voice.

"No, it's my ribs," he answered. She weighted a little more than Lana, but still, he knew he could easily carry her to the bedroom, if only not for the bruises.

"It's ok." She jumped off his arms and took his hand instead. "We're not married, so you don't have to carry me to the bed over the threshold," she teased him. "Just follow me."

He knew she wasn't being serious, but she just planted an idea in his mind. If he wanted to get married, there was no one else he would want but her to be his wife.

They walked into the bedroom and Clark caught her in his arms again, kissing her with all his fervor, his hands wandering all over her body, this time not afraid to hurt her. He touched her breast, which were so deliciously big, stroked her nipples and then as the back of her knees hit the bed and she fell on it, he started tracing a path of kisses down her neck to her chest and finally he captured one of her breast.

Chloe moaned under his caresses and arched her back.

They were both already worked up and aroused, but this time, they did not have to stop.

Clark slowly took her jeans off and then as she sat on the bed to fumble with his own, he helped her. They were so close now. Just two small pieces of underwear to get rid of.

He kissed her again, then his lips touched her belly button and the rim of her panties until he finally took them off too and she was lying completely naked, waiting for him.

And she was so beautiful, he thought when he looked at her in awe. So beautiful and all his. Like a goddess. Or a blonde angel.

"Clark?" Chloe asked. "Clark, stop staring at me. I'm embarrassed," she complained.

"Baby, you have nothing to be embarrassed about," he assured her. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

She blushed even more, what was so enticing to him.

She reached to his boxers and stripped the last piece of fabric that separated them.

His cock, already hard, sprung free.

"What's wrong?" Clark asked, now he was the one to feel embarrassed. Chloe's eyes were suddenly so big.

"Nothing," she answered. "It's just… Clark, you're so huge."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it," he said, still not following.

"It's just… I've never been with anyone before…" she confessed.

"Me neither."

"And I'm afraid…"

"Oh…" He finally understood. "We can go slow, I don't mind. We don't even have to…"

"No, I want to," she decided. "There's always a little pain before there's pleasure, right? And I love you. I love you so much."

He kissed her again and then was surprised when she actually touched his cock. As her hands closed around it and stroked it, he groaned deep in his throat. He so did not see that one coming and it felt so good!

She started moving backwards until her back reached the pillows and he followed her, covering her body with his and kissing her deeply, supporting himself on his elbows so he would not crash her. She was still small while he was big and muscular.

"Wait…" he rasped, trying to pierce the haziness in his brain and think. "I'm human… we can… do you have a condom?" He was so stupid that he hadn't thought of that one before.

"It's fine. It's kind of… embarrassing, but when we started officially dating, I started taking pills. Then obviously I knew there would not be any action between us, but I felt so good on those hormones that I just kept taking them."

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Chloe," he reassured her, repeating his words from before. "I'm happy you did so, because now we would have to stop and take a shopping trip, what would be very uncomfortable."

She giggled.

He started kissing her again and her legs spread for him, so he fitted between them. His cock came in contact with her heat and they both moaned.

"I need you," Chloe decided.

"I need you too," Clark said, looking deep into her eyes and he reached to her clit and then stroked it gently.

She closed her eyes in pleasure and arched her back again.

"Oh, yes, Clark, yes," she moaned.

She was really the most beautiful thing he had seen, especially when he was making her feel this way.

He dared to slid his finger inside her wet heat and she cried out, coming on the spot. He was surprised to feel her channel clenching over him.

"Sorry," she said as the spasms subsided.

"For what?" Clark asked with a smile and kissed her, teasing her tongue with his. "I don't think I can hold on for much longer," he confessed.

"I'm ready."

"Are you sure?"

She just nodded.

He positioned himself and pushed inside her. At first everything went smoothly and he could feel her shaking with pleasurable anticipation. She was fluttering around his cock and it was heaven for him.

Then she winced and he felt a barrier.

"Are you ok?" he made sure. He really did not want her to suffer.

"I'll be fine once it's over," she said and then she burst out laughing when she looked at his face. "Not the sex part, silly, the losing virginity part!"

"Oh…"

"Just do it, so I could start really enjoying it!"

He did as she asked and she winced again as the barrier was broken. The rest of the way came more smoothly for Clark and he was there, inside her. And she was so agonizingly tight that he had to close his eyes and count his breaths as not to come right there on the spot.

When he finally opened them and moved a little, Chloe was still in pain.

"I'm sorry, Chloe, is there anything I can do to make it better for you?" he asked, feeling guilty even though he knew it wasn't his fault. He couldn't control nature.

"No," she said. "I feel like I was being ripped apart from inside, but it'll pass and then… women are always bragging that size matters, so I'm intend to find out how much it actually does."

He laughed. She had that gift. She could make him laugh any time she wanted.

The vibrations his laugh sent to his and then hers body suddenly did not hurt.

"Move," Chloe asked him. "I think it's getting better."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

So he did. He slowly retreated and then pushed back inside. The movements bringing him so much pleasure. He loved to be human.

"Oh yes, I am sure…" she suddenly rasped. "It still aches a little, but the pleasure… oh, god… yes, it's worth the pain… I need that…"

He moved slowly, kissing her, whispering into her ear, touching her, caressing her breasts, everything to make her feel loved and cherished.

And she did. She really did.

Then, finally, she felt her orgasm building. It was remarkable. She knew that not every girl had that luck when doing it for the first time.

"Oh, Clark, I'm… I'm coming…" she breathed out.

He could not hold himself back any longer, so he pushed inside her a little faster and repeated. He was so close too.

And then it happened. Chloe's mouth opened, eyes closed, back arched again and she moaned his name as she came. And watching her was so stimulating that Clark lost it before he managed to do something about it. Her clenching channel milked him completely and then he found himself depleted of any strength.

"I've never felt so weak and tired in my life," he said as he finally slid out of her and laid next to her on the bed, breathing hard. "And I love every second of it."

"Well, that's being human," Chloe said and smiled to him broadly. "It was wonderful."

He put his arm around her and her head found itself on his chest, her hand stroking it idly.

"I'm glad it was for you. For me too."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

They did not even know when they fell asleep. Probably in instance.


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 11**

When Chloe opened her eyes in the morning, for a moment there, she had no idea where she was. Then she remembered the meteor shower and her staying at the Talon, then… Clark coming over. Clark as a human.

She blushed on thinking about the night before. Right now she could feel the soreness between her legs as a clear evidence and Clark's breath on the back on her neck as he was spooning her from behind.

She still had difficulties believing they were in this situation. There was nothing more that she wanted from life but him, well, alright, she frowned, there was her career, but that she could earn with her hard work. Love could not be earned. What more, Clark turning into a human, that had been impossible a day ago and now… now he was one and he was with her.

"Good morning," she heard his tired voice in her ear and then he kissed it.

"How did you know I was awake?" she asked, smiling but then yawning. What they had done last night was very tiring. She was yet to get used to that.

"I felt your breathing quickening," the answer came and Chloe suddenly twitched and turned around to face him. "What's wrong?" Clark asked, looking at her. His eyes, his face from so close took her breath away.

"Do you have your powers back?" she asked.

"Why?"

"You just said you felt the difference in my breathing!"

To her astonishment, he chuckled, "Chloe, it's alright. My hand was on your membrane."

"Oh," she uttered, feeling completely stupid. "Sorry, I just thought…"

"I know, you're scared and believe me, I am too, but I decided that there is no use for being scared. What's meant to be will happen. We have no control over the future. We have the present and I intend on making the best out of it," he assured her and kissed her with affection.

"Good morning to you too," she finally said against his lips.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you too."

"What's wrong now?" he asked when she winced.

"Oh, nothing, I'm just a little sore," she explained. "Tell me again why there's such discrimination in this world? It's not enough that some men still treat women as something less than they are, it's not enough that we are the ones who have to bear children and destroy our bodies… and we have periods… and moods swings… and add to that, we need to hurt when we have sex for the first time and probably not only then! I'm sure the soreness will always be there after some… hard… sex… and…" She suddenly blushed all over. "Sorry."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to be embarrassed?" Clark asked, pretty amused with her outburst. "I'm sorry that the world works this way. Believe me, if it was within my power, I would change it."

"Well, right now you have just the power of an average man," Chloe reminded him.

"True, but I do think you're smarter and better than most of those chauvinistic idiots," he told her and kissed her again.

"Mhmmm… feeling much better." She smiled. "I just wish I could fight off my body's limitations."

"Why is that?" Clark supported his head on his elbow and Chloe couldn't help but watch his strained muscles.

"Because I would do you again and again and then again and some more, but unfortunately, even if I want to, I'm too sore this morning."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault. It's the nature fault. What do you say for a shower together instead?"

Once they stepped under the hot stream of water, Chloe noticed something.

"Clark?" she asked, looking down on his crotch deliberately.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. You're just so beautiful."

"Oh, am I now?" she asked with sparks in her eyes. "Lana is more prettier than me," she teased him.

"Not true. You are, Chloe." Clark cupped her face and looked her deep in the eye. "Do you want to know why? You are real. Lana is like a skinny model and I'm not saying this on her benefit. Guys in the real world like curvy shapes."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"No, fat people weight like 200 pounds. You are perfect."

"When will you stop making me blush?" she wondered, letting him kiss her again under the hot stream. "But wait…" she pushed him away while pressing her hand against his chest. Such a hard chest, but she fought hard not to think of his nudity right now. "… you were in love with Lana once."

"I wasn't in love with her," he assured Chloe. "It was a silly childish infatuation and I suspect she may have a hidden meteor power. You know, making the guys around her think she's the best girl in town."

"You might be right about that," Chloe muttered and suddenly grabbed Clark's still hard cock.

"Chl… Chloe?" Clark asked, groaning involuntarily and pushing into her hand.

"What? I can do this for you. You deserve it."

"I think you deserve some attention now, not me."

"I can't. I'm too sore," she repeated, stroking him and now trying to apply more pressure.

Clark closed his eyes and supported his hands on the shower wall, imprisoning Chloe between his arms.

"There are… other ways… to make you… feel… thiiissss… goooddd…" he moaned again as she pumped harder and squeezed him again just when he looked down on her breasts. And he came. He couldn't stop himself. "Did I tell you how much I love your breasts?" he asked, still hazy from his climax.

She started laughing.

"No, but thank you, Clark… Cla… Clark!" she was the one to yell now because he gently slid his hand between her legs and stroked her.

"Is this good? Or it hurts too?"

"No, it doesn't… and yes, it is soooo gooddd…."

* * *

Once they finished their shower, that had taken them a lot longer than it should, they started making breakfast together. Chloe was brewing coffee and Clark was making toasts.

"We're making a good team," she noticed. "At least I know you don't expect me to cook for you every day."

"I was raised traditionally, but I don't think you need to stay at home, doing chores," he told her honestly. "You're much more than that, Chloe. You're destined to have a great career in the Daily Planet."

"Now, if only I had an article for them… and my newly developed sex life is not worth the Daily Planet column," Chloe joked when putting the coffee pot on the table.

"You can write about the meteor shower and how it affected Smallville," Clark suggested.

"Why would people in Metropolis care about a small farmers' town?" Chloe asked, peeking into the fridge. "Oh! I found some jam… it looks good and it can be great with those toasts!"

They sat down and started eating.

"Don't look at me like that," Chloe told him. "I'll be fine. I'll figure something out. After all, it has to be my article, so my idea."

"I'm sure you will. I believe in you."

* * *

"Oh… holy fuck!" Chloe screamed a few days later.

She and Clark were in bed, this time she thought that a more appropriate word would be fucking than actually making love. And she loved every second of it.

Clark was buried deep inside her, her legs hooked around his waist as he was pushing into her. He went so deep and she had the impression she could see stars. She was great with words, but she knew she wouldn't be able to describe what she felt right now. It was too amazing. She was so in love with that man and she desired him so much. Just him close to her was enough to want to strip his clothes and have her wicked way with him. How had they managed to go on for so long without sex? She had no idea, but she was so grateful Clark had become human, even if in Jor-El's eyes it was supposed to be a punishment.

"Yes, Clark… yes…" She could lose herself in him. She felt like they were one and if something brought them apart… well, that would be the worst thing that could happen to her.

Clark groaned deeply in his throat, trying so hard not to come just yet. Chloe already had, but he wanted her to reach her peak the second time before he would let go. He was sweating and that was new to him too. He had never sweat before when he had powers, now he was and Chloe was too. Wet skin grazing against wet skin.

He could not take his eyes off her eyes and then off her breasts and then off himself disappearing into her body.

She had that problems with concentration too. And the muscles in his arms, now strained with the exertion as he was supporting himself on the bed as not to crash her, it was all too stimulating. His deep strokes inside her. His kisses.

So she came. Hard and powerful. She saw the stars, she felt high. She felt like she was flying and then falling, dissolving into nothingness. Dissolving into Clark.

He followed her, filling her in with his hot seed and then he fell into her body. He was careful though, he didn't want to hurt her. He might now have powers but he was bigger than she was.

Her arms spread open and then closed around him and they stayed like that, embraced, his softening cock still inside her. They never wanted to let go off each other.


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 12**

Chloe woke up in the middle of the night to the same nightmare that had been bothering her for some time now. It wasn't something that was scaring her, it wasn't something that she saw when she was sleeping either. It was just a feeling. A paralyzing feeling of lost and sadness and even though she did not see Clark in her dreams, she knew it had something to do with him. Sometimes she felt like they were too lucky, like it was it all too good to be true, like it would end eventually.

Only once she woke up, he was there by her side.

"What happened?" she heard his sleepy voice next to her ear when she jerked awake from another nightmare.

"Nothing, just… bad dream," she answered. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, honey," Clark murmured and kissed her.

She got off the bed and went to the bathroom. Those terrible feeling passed once she was awake and had a proof that Clark was there with her and he wasn't going anywhere. She was sure that a psychologist would tell her that once she got what she wanted, she was afraid of losing it and it was completely natural. Dreams were the manifestations of people's greatest desires and greatest fears.

After calming herself down and relieving herself, Chloe came back from the bathroom and got into the warm bed. Clark spooned her as soon as she laid down again and she thought there was really nothing better than coming back to bed in the middle of the night when one was really sleepy.

It was still surreal to her that they lived together with Clark in the Talon apartment now. It had happened so naturally like they were just meant to be. Gabe, Chloe's father, was out of town in business all the time and he very rarely came home, added to that, their house was still being repaired. Surprisingly, Clark's parents were ok with them living together too. They trusted their son and knew he was a responsible person, also they had witnessed him growing up and then suffering, because he was different than anyone else. Now that he was human they had let him go, so he could be finally happy.

* * *

Martha and Jonathan Kent just came back from a shopping trip when Clark popped in with news.

For a moment there, they were frozen after what they heard, but in the end, they were supportive as always.

Clark just asked them if they would be ok if he asked Chloe to marry him.

"Clark, all that matters to us is your happiness. I know you, son, and you wouldn't just jump into marriage without thinking it through. If you love her, then there's nothing standing in your way," Jonathan told him.

"I agree," Martha nodded. "There's just one detail. Clark, are you absolutely sure that this is permanent? I mean you being human. You're the only Kryptonian that survived. Do you really think Jor-El will give up so easily?"

"Mum, I'm done looking back and worrying about him. I'll never come back to the Fortress. He can't do anything to me if I'm not there."

"I hope so."

* * *

Clark wanted to take Chloe for dinner and then propose to her, but destiny seemed to have other plans.

Once he got home that night, she was there, looking very worried.

"Did something happen?" Clark asked, losing his good mood. If Chloe felt bad, then he couldn't ask her to marry him on the spot. She came first and he needed to know what was wrong. And then he needed to fix it.

"Oh, it's nothing, just… Clark, I've been having those weird dreams and… I just don't know if we should do this."

"If we should do what?" he prompted, already scared of her answer.

"If we should be together."

"What? Chloe, you can't just… I don't want to lose you! Don't you love me anymore?" he suddenly asked one question after the other, couldn't believe she just said that to him.

"No, no, I mean… Clark, I love you more than anything. I just think I… I'm holding you back," she confessed and avoided his look.

He walked over to her where she sat on the couch and he crouched by her, taking her hand in his.

"You're not holding me back, you're giving me wings."

"Metaphorically, maybe, but I feel that you're destined for so much more than a mundane life, Clark."

"Not anymore and I feel great."

"What will happen in a few years? What if we witness someone in trouble or dying and you won't be able to help?" she asked, looking him in the eyes. "What then? What if you miss your powers?"

"Chloe, it was my fault that I lost them, not yours, never yours. And I never blamed you. You are all I need now," he told her in despair. He would not lose her. No way.

"Are you sure you're happy with me?" she asked and her lower lip trembled like she was about to cry.

"Of course! I've never been happier in my entire life! I love you!" he said and put his arms around her, sitting on the couch next to her. "I love you and it would kill me if you left me."

She chuckled.

"Alright, then I won't leave."

"Great. That's all I needed to know."

Maybe he could still take her to that restaurant after all? Maybe she needed that declaration? He already had the ring…

"Chloe, I wanted…" In the very moment his cell rang. "I need to take this, it's my mum." Clark stood up and answered his phone. "Mum…? Wait… what happened…?"

Chloe was watching his face as it slowly transformed from worry to shock and then grief.

"Clark?" she asked in a strangely quiet and shaky voice when he hang up and dropped the phone. "Clark, what is it?" Chloe stood up, walked over to him and cupped his face, pulling it down so he would look at her. "Clark?"

He finally met her eyes and her heart broke on the pain she saw in his.

"My dad… he… he had a heart attack… he didn't make it," Clark answered slowly, still in shock.

Chloe's eyes opened widely.

"What? But he had that operation and he was fine…"

"After the meteor shower they no longer had my powers to help them on the farm… so it was harder to keep it up… I've been still helping as much as I could, but I'm just a man now… and you know my father… he's too proud to ask for help… was… oh god!"

"Oh, Clark, I'm so sorry," Chloe said, now crying and she hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry…"

He clang to her, finally letting it go and she felt him shaking against her and then weeping. She knew how much his dad meant to him. It was Jonathan that was the real father in Clark's life, not the cold machine in Arctic.

* * *

She knew this would happen. Somehow she had felt it long before. Clark would never blame her, that one she knew for sure, but he blamed himself. He always blamed himself.

How could he be happy now? How could he move on when he thought that his father was dead because he couldn't have helped him? Because he was human…

Clark loved Chloe dearly and she knew it. She also knew that losing his powers was an accident. He had done what he always did - wanted to save a life. And his cold machine of a father did not understand and then punished him for not coming back to the Fortress on time.

"Clark, it wasn't your fault," Chloe told him, because she just couldn't stand the sight of him on the funeral. He was so sad. So devastated. And she couldn't do anything more than just hold his hand and be a support for him. She so wished she could take his pain, but it didn't work this way.

"But it is my fault," he answered, "I was the one who ran away few years ago and my dad asked Jor-El for powers, so he could bring me back. His heart problems started then."

"It was his choice," Chloe added, gently squeezing Clark's hand. "Not yours."

* * *

**AN **Next chapter will be the last one in the past and then… we'll go back to the future:D


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 13**

_How would you value a human life?_

_Sometimes one small bullet is all you need to end it. _

_I knew this would happen eventually. _

_I knew he wouldn't be able to stop playing a hero. Even without powers._

_This is a story of how I lost him…_

* * *

It had been a week since Clark's father had died and Clark still couldn't get over it.

Who could blame him? How a person could just get over his father's death? Chloe was scared to even think of losing her father, so she could only imagine what Clark must have been going through. She was doing my best to be there for him, to me a support for him, but she had no idea if that was actually helping.

Their lives went on. They lived. They loved. But the lost was still obvious.

Clark was spending a lot of time on the farm, helping his mother as much as he could. They were even talking about selling it. Martha Kent was thinking about going back to work. Clark also told Chloe that his father had been talking about politics right before he had died and Mrs. Kent were also thinking about that possibility for her career, just to honor her husband's memory and do something good.

Everything seemed to be changing, but life needed to go on.

Chloe forgot about her article for the Daily Planet for the time being. She had no idea what to do with her career and how to start it. Right now she had already too much on her mind.

Added to that, she had just received a very cryptic phone call.

"Chloe, what's wrong?" Clark asked on seeing the look on her face.

They had just got up and prepared to leave the apartment.

"It was Gabriel…" Chloe answered, frowning. "He was helping me in the Torch once… he called to… he called to… warn me," she said.

"Warn you? About what?"

"Apparently I'm supposed to leave Smallville within the next hour or I will… die like the rest of them."

"Ok, that doesn't sound good. We need to call the sheriff! Let's go! Where can we find this Gabriel?"

* * *

"You… WHAT?!" Chloe couldn't believe her own ears.

It wasn't enough that Jonathan Kent had just died. Now the whole Smallville would be obliterated because of some maniac?

"Gabriel, let's just talk about it…" she started, reaching her hands to him and discreetly looking around in search for Clark. He had gone to call the sheriff. "You can't just destroy the whole town. Think about the innocent people you'll kill!"

"No one's innocent!" Gabriel screamed. "They're all freaks, Chloe! All of them! Even if now they seem to be normal, they can change in no time!"

"Then why do you want to save me so badly?" Chloe asked again. "If I agree with you, then I'm another meteor freak. You won't kill them all. And what about yourself?"

"I want to save you, Chloe, because you deserve it."

"That's just the thing. Who are you to decide who deserves something and who doesn't?"

"Gabriel, the police is on its way!" Chloe suddenly heard Clark's voice and then finally saw him coming into view.

"They can't do anything! They won't find the missile!"

"Gabriel, please," Chloe tried one more time.

In that very moment Gabriel grabbed Chloe and pulled her backwards. "You're getting the hell out of Smallville, Chloe!"

"Leave her alone!" Clark yelled at him and wanted to get to Chloe when… Gabriel suddenly had a gun in his hand and Chloe watched with her eyes widely opened like in a slow motion the gun going off and the blood stain appearing on Clark's shirt.

"Nooo!" she roared and started kicking, doing her best to get to her lover. "Clark, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

But she could only watch the man she loved putting his hands to his wound in shock, then falling down. His knees hit the ground and then his body.

Gabriel, even though not as tall and strong as Clark, overpowered the small frame of Chloe and dragged her to his car.

* * *

She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't even process it… no, she couldn't…

Clark. The man she loved so dearly. The man she had loved like her entire life… was gone. Dead. Killed by a bullet, because he didn't have his powers anymore. If he had, it wouldn't have hurt him. If he had have his powers, a thousands of bullets wouldn't have hurt him.

Now he was… he was…

She couldn't even think those dreadful words.

She couldn't… she…

She was crying. She was still in shock.

It all seemed too surreal, so improbable.

How could he just…

How would she go on now without him when she didn't know any other life than with him?

She was cowering in the corner, barely registering Gabriel working on some electrical panel. Probably the missile. That would kill not only Clark. That would obliterate the whole Smallville.

The town would be no more.

Only Chloe didn't care. She wanted to die. She felt a bleeding wound in the place when her heart had used be. She felt tightening in her chest and stomach and instead of losing up, it was suffocating her more and more. Her body was shaking and all the turmoil that was inside was pushing tears from her eyes. And the flood would not stop.

She was being torn into pieces even though she could not see it. It was all happening inside of her and there was no pill that would ever make this better.

_Clark would want you to stop him_, something told her, _Clark would want you to carry on his legacy. He would want you to stop Gabriel from killing everyone in Smallville. From killing his mother…_

Chloe didn't know where the strength came from, maybe from the piece of Clark that was still inside her, in her shattered heart. He would always be there, in her, invisible and only she would be able to feel him. He would always be her moral compass.

She stood up and got to Gabriel.

They started struggling and the gun went off.

For a moment there, Chloe was terrified. Was it her blood that splashed the window?

But there was no pain. She was still standing.

And then Gabriel fell down to the floor, blood oozing from the wound in his chest.

Chloe tried not to picture herself Clark with almost the exact same wound. She couldn't. It was too much.

She needed to stop that missile first.

It was too late though. It was already launched and she did not know any codes to stop it. It was _too late_, she realized with horrification and walked over to the monitor that showed the missile.

She watched with her eyes widely opened and glassy from tears. Clark had come to this town with a meteor shower and now the town will be turned into ashes when he died…

Suddenly, something impossible happened. The missile went off track and… it went up into space.

Chloe felt shivers running along her whole body and then she felt hope. Even a little of hope was all she needed to run out of the station, to run to the farm.

Because that meant Clark was alive. That meant he was back.

Jor-El clearly couldn't have let him die…

Clark was alive. She didn't need to worry anymore. She could be whole again…

So she ran…

* * *

He remembered getting shot.

First the shock on seeing the gun in Gabriel's hand and then the fear when he realized that this time there was nothing protecting him. His body wasn't impenetrable anymore. He would die. He would simply die.

And Gabriel had Chloe. Clark couldn't let that maniac take the woman he loved, the woman he was ready to propose to.

The gun was fired and the bullet found itself in his chest. It was strange, unfamiliar, invading. At first it did not hurt, it just left Clark in shock. Then the burning pain started like something set him on fire. And the blood flooded. And he couldn't move. Couldn't get to Chloe on time. Couldn't save her. Couldn't save Smallville.

Just like he couldn't have saved his father.

The last thought in his mind was that he regretted not proposing to Chloe. He regretted postponing it because of his father's death… he wished he could have more time. More time with her. He wished he had told her she was the love of his life.

* * *

When he woke up, he sat upright on the cold cot.

Then he realized he was in hospital and the sheet that dropped from him had been covering his face a moment before. He had been dead.

But he wasn't anymore.

Then the ringing in his head started and he brought his hands to it, overwhelmed by the pain.

_You need to accept your powers and learn how to control them, Kal-El, _his biological father was saying, _otherwise you will never fulfill your destiny. You will be able to touch so many lives, to save so many people. You will become the beacon of hope, something you were always destined to become. You must come to me right away. This is not a request anymore, this is an order. If you don't obey, there will be consequences, more serious than before._

"But there's a missile coming toward Smallville! I need to stop it!"

_You may do it, but after that, you will come straight to me, Kal-El. My patience is running out. I am waiting for you. Now._

* * *

He stopped the missile and when he came back to Earth, he realized something.

He had no idea how long his training would take. He had no idea when he would be back. He couldn't ask Chloe to wait for him. He couldn't keep her hanging. He needed to let her go. He loved her too much not to do that.

There was one problem though, he couldn't face her.

He had so much to tell her that he was sure he would not leave her on time to get to Jor-El and then he was afraid to think what other disaster could strike them.

He was already running on borrowed time.

* * *

When Chloe finally got to the farm, Martha Kent was already waiting for her on the porch and she was crying.

"Mrs. Kent! Mrs. Kent! It's alright! Clark's alright! He's alive!" Chloe started screaming and then she finally got to her. "Your son's alright!"

"I know, my dear," Mrs. Kent said to Chloe's surprise.

"Then… then why are you crying?" Chloe asked, not really following. "Where's Clark?!"

"He… he left this for you…" Martha's hands were shaking when she handed Chloe the letter. "I'm sorry, dear, but he really had to go. He had no choice."

"He didn't even have time to say goodbye?!" Chloe burst. One moment she was grieving, mourning his death, then she found out he was alive and she was exhilarated and happy and now… now she needed to let him go _again_?! "No… he wouldn't!"

"Chloe, you know well what happened the last time he disobeyed Jor-EL."

"Jor-El?!"

Chloe tore the letter open.

_I want to let you in on a secret, Chloe. I am who you always believed I could become. I am the man who loves you with my whole heart and I will never stop. You are the girl of my dreams. I know you had to wait for a long time, but in the end, I was brave enough to tell you how I really felt. _

_You were always right. You were the girl I was meant to grow into, the girl and now woman of my dreams. You are and always will be the one. _

_I am sorry for doing this, but this is the only way. You of all the people should understand that. I need to go. I finally need to listen to Jor-El. I need this training. _

_Everything inside me hurts right now, Chloe. You make it all better, but still, I need to leave. I need to finally deal with those powers, to reach my potential, to be able to control them. It's what you always wanted me to do, isn't it?_

_I may not be with you today, but know that you will always be in my heart and I can only hope I will be in yours too. _

_I hope that one day I _will _fly back to you._

_Love,_

_Yours, always_

_CK_

One letter. One piece of paper. 221 words.

That was her goodbye. That was the evidence that Clark had got his hands on the letter she, herself, had written to him a long time ago.

"How…?" she asked, not understanding a thing and turning back to Martha. "I threw that letter away… I…"

"I found it, Chloe," Mrs. Kent told her, "and I saved it. I gave it to Clark when I thought it was the right time."

"And he never told me that?"

"Maybe he was waiting for the right time."

"There's never a right time!" she burst and turned around, ran back.

She couldn't stop. It was too much.

She didn't even know when she would see him again. And he didn't want her to waste her time waiting.

Only she knew there would never be another man.

She might still be young, but she knew there wouldn't be.

* * *

"Miss Sullivan, this is truly an amazing piece," the editor of the Daily Planet told her. "And you were right in the middle of it all! You have really impressed me! Welcome to the Daily Planet!"

Chloe shook her hand, but somehow even fulfilling her biggest career dream did not make her happy.

She had written about Gabriel and the missile launch on Smallville. The official story was that the missile was old and went off track. Chloe would never expose Clark.

And that very story landed her the position she had been always dreaming about.

Only for some reason it did not make her happy.

* * *

_I knew I should be happy that he is alive and I really am, but it is still not enough for me. It will never be enough._

_ Unless we will be together again._

_ Only I stopped living a dream a long time ago. This is reality. And it does not always have a happy ending. _

_ At least not the one we would expect._

* * *

**AN**Alrighty then. Next - we're back to the time around the prologue : )


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: **If you're a fan of Chlex, check out my new story - _Come Back to Me_

* * *

**Part 14**

_Present_

"Clark!" she yelled and then she woke up. Alone. Cold. In the middle of the night.

She closed her eyes and brought her hands to her face, falling back into the pillows. She really wanted to cry now, but she had promised herself she would no longer cry because of him.

She had promised that three years ago, about two months after he had left her.

And he still hadn't come back.

Not that she was waiting.

She had decided to go on with her life. She had even tried to fall in love, but that one ended with a total fiasco, so she had stopped trying and focused on her career instead. It had paid off. Now she was one of the best reporters in the Planet, and that was a huge success for her after only three years of working there.

Chloe glanced at the clock standing on the bedside table. It wasn't the middle of the night after all. It felt like that, but in fact, it was five in the morning. She could as well get up, take a shower and make some coffee. She didn't feel like falling back asleep, not after that dream.

She sighed heavily and walked to the bathroom.

Her dreams about Clark had stopped about a year ago, so why she suddenly dreamt about him again?

She had learnt how to live without him and she was doing pretty great. Sometimes her life seemed empty when filled only with work, but one couldn't have everything, right? And she couldn't say she hadn't try, she had. She had briefly dated a guy from work, a photographer, Jimmy Olsen. It still felt awkward when they met in the Planet, because Chloe had broken off with him barely after their first kiss. It had just seemed… wrong to kiss another guy even though she had been single. She had a strong suspicion that it would always be wrong to be with someone else than Clark, so she gave up on relationships altogether. She had no idea why she had that problem. People broke up, people fell in love again, people slept with different people. She couldn't. It was like Clark had taken her heart and never really let it go. It was like she was married to him and felt like she was cheating, even though it was ridiculous.

Clark's mother, Martha Kent, was now freshly elected the senator and Chloe couldn't be more proud of her. She had been close with Mrs. Kent ever since Clark had left them. It was too painful to talk about him, so they didn't, they were friends and sometimes, Chloe felt like Martha was something like a mother she had never really had.

Chloe stepped out of the shower, put her bathrobe on and walked to the kitchen to get some coffee. Maybe that would make her feel better, because she still couldn't shake off that feeling that something was going to happen. Why would she dream about Clark again?

* * *

Her day at work was no different than any other. In fact, all she was doing was working and making brief breaks for eating. Even the new editor in chief, Petty White, who was usually very hard on people, told Chloe to slow down.

Only she couldn't slow down. Slowing down meant thinking. Thinking meant broken heart…

And she was determined to be happy. She found her happiness through work, because that had always been her biggest dream.

She was on her way home when she felt chills. It was like someone followed her. She could feel it.

Her small apartment was very close to the Daily Planet, so she didn't need to drive there, but she was usually leaving work so late that her luck might eventually run out and someone could do something to her.

She fastened up. The building she lived in was just around the corner when…

"Chloe…" was all she heard. But it was also enough to make her stop, make her heart start pounding like crazy, make her want to faint.

That voice… _his _voice.

It seemed like whole hours before she finally worked up the courage to turn around, but in fact they were probably just seconds.

She knew there was no danger. She was more safer than ever.

She was safe, because _he _was here.

She finally did it. She turned.

And Clark was standing there, a few feet away from her.

Chloe could just stare at him. She had nothing to say.

He changed. She thought it was not possible when it came to him, but it apparently was. He seemed to be more grown up, more mature. Just like she was…

His dark hair was the same though. And those blue eyes.

She lost her breath. She hated herself for that, but she still loved him. She couldn't imagine a life in which she wouldn't, but sometimes love wasn't enough. This was a grown ups' world she was in now. She wasn't a teenager anymore.

"Chloe…" he said again, but then stopped, clearly having problems with talking too. "You've changed," he finally said.

Of course she had! She wanted to scream that into his face. In the past she had been constantly complaining that she had been too fat, that her body had had too many curves and Clark had been always honestly telling her he had loved it that way. Now she finally had what she had wanted back there. Him leaving her had took a toll on her body. She was slim now, almost skinny, her body fat sucked out of her because of stress, the life she was leading and losing _him_, the most important thing in her life. And she was attractive. She knew how men looked at her and it almost amused her. Who would think? But it did not matter at all now.

"Well, you too," she answered back in not really a nice tone of voice.

"I don't mean it in a bad way. God, I forgot how beautiful you are," he suddenly added, looking at her in awe when he came closer.

There was still plenty of space between them, but she felt dizzy. He was definitely too close. She could reach out her hand and touch him and then…

_Wake up, Chloe, this is not a good idea, _she told herself.

"Clark, what do you want?" she asked, pulling herself together. She finally was able to say his name and it hurt her.

"I am back," he simply answered. "And I thought you should know that."

"Well, I do now. Have you seen your mother?"

"Yes, that was the first place I went to. When I came back to the farm… I got scared."

"Yes, she sold it. She would've be ruined if she hadn't."

"I don't blame her. Some neighbors told me she was a senator… they looked at me pretty weird, but eventually they told me everything I needed to know. She was the one to tell me where to look for you, but I think I would've figured it out by myself. Congratulations, your dream has come true."

"Sometimes we don't know what our dreams really are until we lose something," Chloe said bitterly. "Clark, what do you want from me?"

"I needed to see you. You have no idea how much I missed you."

"Well, I missed you too, but I moved on. You hurt me."

"I had no choice, I needed to go."

"I understand that one. I really do, but… you still don't know what you did wrong, do you?"

"Chloe…" He wanted to get even closer, but she reached her hands to stop him.

"No! Stay there!"

"Alright," he agreed, clearly hurt. She could see that on his face. Well, he deserved it. He had been trapped in the fortress. Maybe time had barely flown for him, but she had been all alone for three years!

"Are you free now?" she asked. "Free of Jor-El? Or will he call you back?"

"No, that part is done. My training is complete. I am free. You don't need to worry."

"Good. What now? What will you do now?"

"Actually… I'm planning on fulfilling my destiny."

"And what that would be?" she prompted.

"Becoming the man I was meant to become. Now that I can control my powers and… well, I can fly…"

"You what?!" Ok, that was new to her and left her in shock. "Alright, go on…"

"Jor-El gave me a cape with a Kryptonian symbol. Here you see is as an s, but on Krypton it means hope. I need to become a hero. I need to help as many people as I can…. In fact… wait a sec…" He was gone and then back, bringing flowers. "For you."

"What is this? An attempt of wooing me?" she asked, but took the flowers. Her hands were shaking and she tied to hide it.

"Chloe, I never expected you to wait for me…"

"Good!"

"So… are you happy?" he asked, but she could see in his eyes that he was hurt. "Are you with… someone?"

"No," she answered, because she wasn't a liar. "But that doesn't mean I didn't to move on from you. It just didn't work out."

"Ok, so then… maybe…" he started, hesitating.

"Are you fucking serious?!" she suddenly burst.

"What did I say?" He looked at her, surprised.

"Are you seriously expecting me to jump into bed with you right after you left me?!"

"Chloe, this is so not what I meant. I just…"

"Well, it's past nine pm and you decided to visit me _now_? What am I supposed to think?"

"I was in Washington!"

"And you couldn't wait till morning? You just had to come here now and give me a sleepless night?! And don't you dare thinking I meant you with me that night!"

"I don't, I swear." He raised his hands like he wanted to surrender. "Chloe, I am so, so sorry for leaving you."

"It's not about you leaving me, Clark, it's about something else, but you still haven't figured that one out, hah?"

"No. I'm in the dark here. Why don't you just tell me?"

She growled. She really growled in her throat, that much angry she was. Then she turned around with the intention to go home.

She stopped.

"Ok, do you really want to know what you did wrong?" She turned back to him.

"Yes, please, enlighten me!" he asked, now getting angry too.

"You should've come and talk to me! You acted like a fucking chicken! A coward! You just left me with a fucking letter! A letter that was a clear answer to _mine _letter that I wrote to you a long time ago! Oh, and you didn't bother to tell me you had it?! Maybe I would think it was romantic if I was still a silly teenager in love, Clark, but I am not anymore! And I wasn't three years ago! You owed me more than that after _everything _we've been through!"

Clark was left speechless.

"That's what I thought," Chloe hissed and wanted to leave again.

"Wait, Chloe!" He got to her, put his hand on her shoulder and forced her to stay. Then he took his hand away, because she shot him a look.

That one idle touch was enough for her to feel tingling, but she tried hard to ignore that.

"I know I screw up," he said in a normal tone of voice now. "I am sorry for that, but I can't change the past. I can only try right now, in the present."

"Then you'll be trying for a very long time."

"I don't mind. Chloe, you know there isn't and never will be another girl… Back then… when I needed to leave for that training… I wanted to find you and say goodbye, especially after you seeing me being shot and dying, but… I couldn't. Chloe, I know I made the wrong choice, but I thought once I saw you… I would never be able to leave. There would never be enough time to talk and be with you."

"So you just made the clean cut. How decent of you!"

"Tell me what I can do to make it alright again?" he asked her, his eyes begging her. She never could resist the puppy look he was giving her.

Until now.

"Well, first, maybe you grant me an interview. You said you were becoming a hero. You have a cape. We need to find you a name and I want to be the very first reporter to write the story."

"Sure. No problem. The scoop is yours," he agreed.

"Alright," she said and then walked into the building she was living in, leaving Clark standing on the street.

* * *

When she entered her apartment she found the letter Clark had left her.

Then she cried.


	15. Chapter 15

**Part 15**

Chloe was sitting by her newly acquired desk in the Planet, hitting her pen against the newest paper edition.

She should be happy, exhilarated even, to get the story, to get a promotion. If only he wasn't there with her! What the hell Perry was thinking, she was wondering.

On the front page of the paper there was a huge headline: SUPERMAN - new hero in the city by Chloe Sullivan.

Chloe thought of the moment when Clark had reappeared in her life two weeks ago. Then he had not been bothering her until recently. He had said he wanted to give her space to think and in the same time, he had had work to do. People had been talking about the mysterious Red-Blue Blur that had started saving them and catching criminals, leaving them for the police to handle. Every single reporter in Metropolis had been doing whatever they could to catch him. Well, everyone except Chloe, because she knew the scoop was hers. Clark had promised. Besides, she knew better than to chase him. If he didn't want to be caught, he wouldn't. There wasn't a human being that could keep up with him.

Chloe remembered when two days ago she had come back home from work and a soft tapping on her window attracted her attention…

_ She walked over there and pushed the curtains aside, revealing Clark hovering in the air, waiting for her to let him in. As the initial shock of seeing him flying passed, Chloe was still taken aback by the choice of his clothing. He was wearing a red-blue suit with a floating red cape. What more, the suit was so tight she could see every ripple of his muscles and… she felt her cheeks burning and her blood boiling in her veins when she glanced at Clark's crotch. It had been not so long ago when they had been joined together, when they had loved and trusted each other completely._

_ She cleared her throat and pushed those thoughts away, then she opened the window._

_ "Clark," she said his name, hating the way her voice faltered. "What is that? _That _is why people are saying they saw a red-blue blur!"_

_ "It's both Jor-El's and mum's idea," Clark admitted. "I'm still adjusting. It's so tight."_

_ "Yeah," Chloe agreed."Well, at least all the women and gays you save won't look at your face," she threw a comment, jealousy clear in her voice. "Well, that's the point, isn't it? They can't recognize you… yeah…" Too much wells for her taste. Where her witty remarks went?_

_ "Chloe, you know there will never be another girl," Clark said, trying to appease her mind. "Say one word and I'll find another costume, I promise."_

_ "It's not that. In a relationship you need to be able to trust the other person not to do anything stupid, so I am not worried about you chasing all those women who lust over you."_

_ "Good, because what they see…. It's not me, Chloe. _You know me_. _You always have,_" he emphasized. "You know the real me."_

_ "Yeah, I just wish you didn't hurt me," Chloe said to him._

_ "I'll do my best to make it alright again."_

_ "Clark, let's not talk about our private lives. You came here, so I could write the story, didn't you?"_

_ "Yes, I did."_

_ "There's just one problem."_

_ "And what that would be?"_

_ "If you're willing to show your face, you need to disguise yourself in the real life, do you realize that? Someone may recognize you. You know well that Lex Luthor lives in Metropolis. His father might be dead, but something tells me that Lex would not forget a face of a man that once saved his life."_

_ "True. Any suggestions?"_

And now Chloe just couldn't believe the audacity he had!

To come here, to her sanctuary, to the Daily Planet! All dressed up in a suit, wearing glasses and acting like he could win the first prize for the most clumsiest person in the world!

She hit the pen against the paper so hard now that she lost the hold of it and it landed on the floor.

When she picked it up, Clark just walked out of Perry White's office, shaking his hand and smiling to him.

"Oh, here you go, Kent! Take that desk, right in front of my youngest and brightest! You need to learn from the best!" After having said that, Perry White walked back to his office, grinning, "Olsen! I need you for a moment!" he called.

"He actually gave you the job?!" Chloe burst at Clark, who just took the desk opposite to her own. "Are you kidding me?"

"What? He owed me."

"Perry White _owed you?_" she repeated, completely stupefied. "For a god's sake, Clark! It's called nepotism!"

"Chloe, I didn't think you would be so mad at me," Clark said, genuinely surprised. "I thought…"

"What? That working right next to you would do me some good? That I would forgive you easier?"

"Chloe, I…"

"That maybe we would fall back into our old routine? Me being your sidekick?!"

"Chloe…"

"I'm done with that, Clark!"

"Chloe…"

"If you want to work with me, _you_ will be _mine _sidekick!"

"CHLOE!" Clark raised his voice, causing everyone to look at them.

Chloe finally shut up and let him speak.

"I thought that me being… I still can't get to that ridiculous name… S means hope, not Sup… alright! Alright! I'll let it go!" he added quickly when she shot him a murderous look. "I thought that I couldn't really be a police officer, but maybe I should work here, you know, in a place where the news got first. I can be the first to get to all the accidents, I can get to the people who need me the most that way."

"Oh," she finally uttered, feeling completely mortified. When Clark had gained that ability? When had she exactly start feeling so awkward around him? Or maybe it was because of their past? Maybe it was because even though for him time had passed fast, for her it had still been years… or…

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, feeling that she really needed to know the answer.

"Sure," Clark told her, glad that she wanted to talk normally.

"How much time it's been for you? I mean, does time in the Fortress passes by differently than in here?"

He sighed heavily. "Yes, Chloe, it does. I am sorry. I just got there, started my training and… it was just over. It seemed like a long time, but it did not seem like three years."

"So basically, we're both in a completely different place right now. For me it's been too long. I feel like I'm close to you, but like there's a barrier between us that is so hard for me to overcome."

"Can you trust me?"

"I never stopped," she confessed. "I knew you had to leave and it had nothing to do with trust. I also knew you'd come back the first minute you were free, but… still, I am mad at you."

"I promise I will never make the same mistake again, Chloe. I learnt something."

"Thank you, I think I can believe that. Still, it doesn't change the fact that we're… apart somehow."

"I will not give up on us. I love you."

She closed her eyes on hearing that. She wanted to say that back very badly, but in the same time she couldn't.

"You're gonna have to try hard and even then I can't promise anything, Clark. I know that maybe my behavior is a little off, but… I just can't jump right into your arms. It's just been too long."

"I know and I understand and respect that."

"Can you believe it?!" they suddenly were interrupted by Jimmy Olsen shutting the door to Perry White's office behind him. "He keeps treating me like an errant boy! I am a professional photographer, god damn it!... Oh, hi, you're new here, right? Jimmy Olsen," he stopped right by Clark and reached his hand for him to shake. "Woah… nice grip you've got there," he told him. "Wait a minute… Chloe, this is a very strange look on your face right there. Who is this guy? … If I may ask, of course," Jimmy added quickly, because Clark did not look at him very pleasantly. "Who are you?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and stood up.

"We as well may get this over with. Jimmy, this is the guy I can't forget about. Clark, this is the guy I went out on a date with." After saving said that, she left them alone, walking out to get some air.

"Ehm… yeah…" Jimmy started, not really knowing what to say. "But ya know, it wasn't serious… and we're just friends now with Chloe… I only kissed her… and she… she didn't want to go any further, so… yeah…"

Clark wanted to laugh now. He had been seriously jealous a moment before, but then he realized he didn't have the right to. And now he saw that Jimmy wasn't really a competition for him. What he could be was a good material for a friend.

"It's alright, Jimmy," he said, also standing up, because he heard a police siren in the distance. "We're good."

"If it helps… I think she still loves you!" Jimmy called after him. "Just don't hurt her, buddy!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Part 16**

"Chloe, can we talk?" Clark asked nearly two weeks later when they were finishing their work for the day.

"Clark, I told you I need time to get used to this new situation," she told him, trying to clean her cluttered desk. At the end of the day it always looked the worst, especially recently. Working next to Clark, seeing him every day in the place that she had once thought of to be her sanctuary where she could just forgot about him… it was making her ill at ease. She was restless and she couldn't focus. How was she supposed to work when this gorgeous men with whom she had been in a relationship before, was right there, sitting in front of her? All she needed was to just reach her hand and she could touch him.

Only she couldn't. The real reason she was so hard on Clark was not that she couldn't get over those years without him. She no longer held any grudge against him, well, at least not that kind he could think of. Sometimes she thought he was really stupid. How could he not figure out what she so desperately wanted to hear from him? She needed for it to come from him. It wouldn't be the same if she just asked about it. He should know, right?

"Can we at least go get some coffee?" he asked, looking at her with those puppy eyes that brought so many memories that she needed to close her eyes and turn away. She pretended to look for something in her bag.

In that moment the door to Perry's office slammed and they saw Jimmy wearing a miserable face.

"I can't believe it! I am a professional photographer!" he moaned as he always did when leaving that room. "Why can't I be just sent on some _real _assignment?"

"I'll tell you what," Chloe said, looking back at Clark, having a sudden idea. "Give Jimmy a reason to actually be a photographer and we can have that coffee."

"What?" Clark asked, frowning. "I don't get it… do you… oh, you do not have feelings for him, but you do feel guilty, don't you?"

"Oh, come on, they were just two dates and I ended it as fast as I could to not hurt him," Chloe sighed. "I knew there would never be anything between me and Jimmy that would beat… anyway, just do it. You like to help people, then help him. He needs it. He's really good at his job, you know."

"Tomorrow he'll have Superman's pictures," Clark promised.

"Thank you," Chloe just said, doing everything for her voice to sound normal. Clark couldn't see how upset she really was with him. He couldn't see how much she needed him, not only in the physical way, that one went without saying, she needed him in every way. She needed him in her life as he had been before. As a friend, not only as a lover. She needed all of him.

But she couldn't let him in again until he would explain one thing to her.

Because even if she understood him leaving and knew that he had had to do that, she did not understand why he would lie to her like he had. Withholding the truth equaled lie in her dictionary after all.

* * *

"I don't understand her, mum," Clark said when visiting Martha in her apartment. "I love her and I know that she still loves me. Did I hurt her so badly? She knew I would eventually leave for that training. She knew I had no choice. And it's not like I left without saying anything. I left her that letter…" He suddenly stopped. _The letter._

"Clark, I think you already know where the problem lies," Martha noticed, watching her son's face with compassion. "I thought once I gave you this letter, you would tell her that you read it. Why didn't you?"

"At first I wanted her to know that I loved her for her, not because I read that letter. I didn't want her to think that it affected my feelings."

"Why would she? You were already in love with her when I showed it to you."

"I guess I waited too long and in the end, I planned something really special with it. I thought it would be romantic. Now when I look at it… she would've probably hit me in the face."

"Why?"

Clark took a deep breath and revealed the big secret regarding his intentions toward Chloe.

"Honey, you really need to tell her. You _need _to be one hundred percent honest with her if you want her back. I do not see any other choice in this matter."

"I know, but… I'm afraid it will push her away from me."

"I think that honesty will do the opposite, honey. You need to do this, otherwise, you will just keep dancing around each other and you will end up nowhere. Do not do this to her. She doesn't deserve such treatment."

* * *

That night Clark flew once again to Chloe's window and knocked on it gently. He did not have his Superman costume on, it didn't seem right. It was like a work outfit. He needed to come to her as himself. No glasses, no suit, just the plain old Clark she knew.

"Clark." She seemed surprised once she opened the window. And distracted, Clark noticed, not really understanding why. She looked back at the front door like she was afraid someone would walk right through it.

"Can I come in?" Clark asked. "I need to tell you the truth, Chloe. You deserve it."

At first she didn't think that letting him in was a good idea. She had been distracted by both him and something else recently, something she just couldn't tell him yet. She needed to check it up and when she got the chance to find out more in order to protect him, she took it.

"Alright," she agreed. Clark chose the worst possible moment, but she would take it. All she needed was the truth. She couldn't imagine them moving on together, dating or getting further beyond that without this talk.

"I know why you're so upset with me and I understand," he admitted, getting inside and closing the window, because it was chilly that night.

"I would ask, but I wanted to hear it from you, Clark," she said, folding her arms on her chest.

"Were you out?" Clark asked, noticing the black dress she was wearing. It looked like Chloe had just had a date, but he refused to believe that. She wouldn't do that to him.

"Yes," she simply answered. "I'm chasing a lead… Now, no more small talk, Clark, just get to the chase, please. No matter how bad it is."

"I realized that you didn't want to move on because of that letter. I did reply to it, but I did not tell you I had it and where I got it. I'm sorry."

"I'm not interested in another apology, I'm interested in the truth," she prompted.

It was so hard for her to be that near to him alone in a room. She felt like she had been celibate for the last three years and few months. She needed Clark with her all being and…

Once again she forced herself to push that thoughts away. She couldn't. Not now. Not until she would hear the truth. She could only hope that it would not prevent her from pursuing their relationship.

"My mother gave me that letter before we even started dating," Clark revealed.

"I know that much," Chloe said. "She told me when she handed it to me."

"Well… I want you to know that I had feelings for you before I read it. I was surprised by them. I started seeing you… in a completely different light. It was like I saw the sun for the first time or discovered the truth that was always there, but I couldn't see it. I needed you. I loved you. I was afraid that if I told you I had the letter right away, you would think that I developed feelings toward you, because I read it or worse, that the letter made me use you as a rebound from Lana. You were afraid you would be a rebound girl, didn't you?"

"I did, but then I believed you," Chloe admitted. "Men are blind until they see the truth with their own eyes. Your Lana pink glasses had to go away sometime."

Clark would have laughed if not for what he still had to tell Chloe.

"It's not all, Chloe. I want you to know that I wanted to give that letter back to you. I wouldn't hide this from you forever, I just… We were together and we loved each other. We basically lived together and I… I wanted it to be special. Right now I think that doing so would be a mistake, but then… I thought that I would propose to you and I would give that letter to you with a… ring."

Chloe stood there for a moment, completely frozen. What did he just say?

"A… a ring? Inside the letter?" she made sure, losing her breath. Did he really say it? "You were going to…"

"I was going to propose," Clark confirmed. "And I even bought the ring."

"Oh my god…" Chloe turned around, brought her hands to her face to cover it. "Oh my god…"

Clark would have proposed to her and she would have said yes, naturally, and they would have lived happily ever after.

Only real life did not go this way. Real life meant obstacles to overcome. Real life meant problems. Nothing was easy.

"I thought of putting it into an envelope with the letter I wrote you as a goodbye, but I didn't want you to feel obligated to wait for me. I had no idea when I would be back. It could have been years, Chloe. I never wanted you to have a life filled with work and waiting for me. I didn't want your life to just pass by you. I wanted you to live it, even if it meant living it without me in it."

She turned back to him with tears in her eyes.

She wanted to tell him that she loved him so much, but still, there was a blockade inside her and she couldn't say it just yet.

"Can you forgive me?" Clark asked, making a step forward. "I know I screw up. I know you'd probably hit me in the face if you'd found out that I'd had the letter all along and that I'd wanted you to marry me. I know I should have told you way before, but I…"

"It's…" she started and cleared her throat. "It's in the past, Clark."

"Can you forgive me for that one last thing?" he asked, his voice faltering. It was the moment of truth for him. He would either leave her apartment elated or with a broken heart.

"Yes, I forgive you, Clark," she said to his relief and he rushed to her, for the first time taking her into his arms so recklessly while having his powers.

He did not hurt her. He could control it now. They could do anything and he would not hurt her. That control was embedded deep into his mind, in his muscles and in his cells. He didn't even have to think about it, it was just there. All thanks to Jor-El's training. The same training Clark had refused to go to once. Now it was a blessing. If only it had not kept him and Chloe apart for so long!

Chloe clang to him and wept into his shirt, wetting it. She felt his strong hands stroking her back, then going higher, brushing her hair.

She pulled away and looked up into his blue eyes.

He couldn't stop himself. Not anymore. It had been too long. He needed to taste her.

So he kissed her.

She stilled when his lips landed on hers and then she lost herself in the kiss. It was like she had spent those last three years on a desert, craving for relief and now it came, in the person of Clark. She loved him and her heart, her body and her soul wanted him so desperately.

He kissed her harder, sliding his tongue along her lower lip until she let him in.

Chloe moaned and put her arms around his neck, her hands touching his hair.

Then her cell phone rang.

It reminded her of the world that was still around them. It reminded her of her work, her lead. Most of all, it reminded her that she couldn't just jump to bed with Clark. They needed to take it slow, like adults, no matter how badly they wanted it.

She pulled away.

"Clark, you need to go," she told him.

"What?"

"Just go… I need to take this… Hello? Yes… thank you… I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow as well."

Clark couldn't help but listen on the conversation and with his powers, he could hear the person speaking on the other side.

"I can send a limo for you tomorrow night… I can't wait to see you, Chloe… Have a good night."

Fortunately, Clark was smart enough not to say anything till the call was finished.

"What the hell are you doing with Lex Luthor?!" he burst once Chloe hang up.

"Clark, I know you're upset, but you really need to go. I have work to do."

"You're _dating him_?" Clark asked, feeling like his heart had just got broken. "Chloe, how can you see him tomorrow night?! It's Lex Luthor!"

"And who are you to tell me whom I can and cannot see?!" she raised her voice as well, angry at him. "It's my life! And you keep showing up, hurting me! How long before you stop playing with me?" She didn't mean to say that, but he really made her angry.

"So you _are dating _him?" Clark asked, stupefied.

Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Do you know me at all? Now, please, get out of here and just… trust me."

"How can I trust you when you…"

"Clark!" she screamed. "It's all too much for me, alright?! I need a break! You told me the truth and for that I am thankful, but you can't just start kissing me and…" she stopped and took a deep breath. "I need to sleep on it… I mean… on the truth…" she stammered, "and then I will figure out what move to make next. Please, just trust me. Do it for me. I promise you, it's all not what you think."

She opened the window for him.

"GO!"

He did. What else could he do? He listened and he flew away.

If it wasn't what he thought, then what it was exactly? Why Chloe would be so reckless to date Lex Luthor?! Was she onto something? But if she had a lead, she should ask Clark to help her! He could protect her. He wouldn't even take any credit for the possible article.

Only she didn't. Wasn't she afraid of Luthor?

She clearly wasn't.

And Clark couldn't understand why.


	17. Chapter 17

**Part 17**

Clark could not even think clearly, he was so jealous. It was probably pointless. Chloe wanted him, didn't she? Still, he could not help how he felt. He was distracted while working and Chloe was not even there! When he asked about her, he was told she took the day off.

Chloe never took days off, that was why Perry White agreed to it so easily. When Clark heard about it, he felt guilty even though he knew he had had no choice but to go to Arctic to show up for his training. It was just now that he fully started to realize that Chloe had had no life for the last three years. He had wanted her to, he would have survived if she had been happy with someone else. He would have been heartbroken and devastated beyond belief, but at least he would have the knowledge that she had been happy. She wasn't. And it was all because of him. He had left her, what actually devastated her, not the other way around. Clark for the very first time in his life felt like the bad guy and this feeling was killing him. Was it the reason Chloe could not forgive him? Was she just looking for excuses to delay their coming back to each other? Maybe she was hurt, deep down in her heart and nothing Clark could do would ever make her be with him again? Was that why she had a date with Lex Luthor? Nothing added up.

When Clark's workday was officially over, he made a decision. He would try once again to win her over. If it didn't work out, he would leave, find another place to save people. He would do anything for her just so she could be happy. If not with him, then with someone else.

Only that someone could not be Lex Luthor. Chloe should have be smarter than this.

Or was she? Maybe she had been sneaking around with Lex when Clark had still been in Arctic? Maybe Chloe was just ashamed of it and couldn't tell him the truth?

He needed to know. He needed to see it on his own eyes. Otherwise he would go crazy.

* * *

Chloe put on a dress that had caused her whole paycheck. She was hoping she could return it to the shop the next day or she would find herself starving soon. She needed that date, she needed to make that sacrifice. She detested any Luthor there was, but she had no choice. He was onto something and she needed to make sure he was not on the right track.

The limo came for her and Lex got out of it.

"You came to pick me up in person?" Chloe was suspired.

"Of course, miss Sullivan," Lex smiled to her and reached his hand.

Chloe did the best she could with acting it out and she grasped it and let him helped her into the car.

She had no idea that Clark was watching her.

* * *

"Of course I do not trust him. How can you trust someone dressed up like that?" Lex laughed, clearly making a joke, but Chloe had a very hard time laughing at it too. She knew what the suit Clark was wearing as Superman meant and she did not find it funny. That symbol reminded Clark of hope, of his heritage, of Krypton and his family. It reminded him of the reason he needed to fight for good. He could not let this planet fall like Krypton had.

"To be serious now, the real reason is that he is an alien," Lex went on. "I do not trust him that he has the Earth's best interest at heart. For all we know, he might be winning our trust over just to strike us when we're weak."

"Why would he do that? I talked to him. I was the one to break the story," Chloe said slowly, trying not to agitate Lex Luthor.

They were having dinner at his mansion. Chloe had insisted on it when he had asked her out, telling him that she wanted to see that beautiful castle. Lex probably thought Chloe was desperate for some action and wanted him to take her to his bed, but he could think all he wanted. Chloe did not care. She would not have another date and she needed to make the best out of this one.

"And you were the one to call him Superman," Lex noticed. "I'm not sure it was very professional of you."

"How should I call him then? He needed people to follow him, to trust him. He wanted them to see him as a symbol of hope."

"All those are quotations from your interview," Lex noticed.

"Then think about this: How could he destroy the Earth when his own planet is gone? Where would he go?"

"How do you know he did not destroy his planet?" Lex contradicted.

Chloe wanted to say something to that. She wanted to tell Lex that Superman could not have done that. He had been just a little boy back then. Only she bit her tongue just in time. No one knew that Superman had been on this Earth for all those years. That information would make Lex dig more. It would lead him to Smallville. And Chloe did not want that. She wanted to know what Lex knew and whether he was on Clark's track. Did Lex suspect anything? For now, Chloe could say that he did not.

Besides, she was killing two birds with one stone. She was examining the ground with Lex and she was torturing Clark by making him think she actually had a date with Lex. Maybe the second one was not very mature of her, but she thought Clark could use some suffering after everything he had put her through.

"Oh, now you have nothing more to say. Have I managed to seed some doubts?" Lex asked. "I hope I haven't offended you. I find you a very exceptional woman, Chloe, and I wish we could get to know each other better. I just do not think those silly fantasy you have about Superman would do us any good."

"I do not have any fantasies. I am professional in my work," Chloe assured Lex while acting it out again. He did not have to know that she dreamt of Superman every night now. Of course, Clark was the subject of her affection, but what difference it would make to Lex? "I broke the story to help my career. My mind is still open. I am not biased and I will not defend Superman to the end. If I find a proof that you're telling me the truth about him, I will change my mind and my career will go even further."

"I like that," Lex admitted. "Shall we take a little tour now?" he asked, standing up.

'_hope it's not a tour to the bedroom, _Chloe thought and smiled to him, also standing up.

"Of course, I've been waiting to see this castle after all," she replied.

In that very moment the door to the dining room swung open and one of Lex's security men strode inside.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we have a code 3 here."

"What is a code 3?" Chloe asked Lex.

"Nothing serious. Will you wait for me? It won't take long." Lex bent down to her and kissed her on the cheek, then he disappeared behind the door.

Chloe had the urge to cringe or wipe that cheek off, but she resisted. She had her chance now. She needed to get into Lex's study.

Once she found the right room she ran to the desk and sat by it, opening the laptop laying on it.

"Password, shit," she cursed under her breath. It was not an obstacle she could not overcome, but it would take a little bit more time. She took a USB drive from her bag and plugged it in. After a minute, the password was cracked.

"Lilian," she said it out loud. "So obvious!"

She searched through the files until she found the one she was interested in. _Superman._

She managed to take a peek, when…

"And here I thought we were having such a good time," she heard Lex's voice coming from the door.

"Lex, I… I can explain…" she stammered, standing up.

"What? That you're working for your precious Superman? What did he offer you? Once he destroys this planet, he will spare you? Take you with him? To where? To what, Chloe? You're just a foolish, infatuated girl."

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Chloe got angry and raised her voice. She was not afraid. Quite the opposite. She could finally vent all those things she had wanted to say to Lex before. "He won't destroy the Earth! He's helping! He's helping to stop thugs like you! If anyone's going to destroy us, it's you, Lex! You and your secret projects!"

"A thug, really?" Lex chuckled. Then he walked over to Chloe and before she knew it, he stroke her across the face. "Why won't he fight his own battles?! Why does he send his whore instead?!"

"He did not send me!" Chloe yelled, placing her hand on the stinging cheek.

In that very moment something swooped into the room, grabbed her and she felt herself being taken away with such a speed that she felt nauseous.

When she was standing on the ground again and managed to open her eyes, she noticed she was back in her apartment.

And Clark - or rather Superman as he was wearing his costume - was standing right in front of her.

"Really, Chloe?!" he yelled at her. "You could've got seriously hurt! If I hadn't got in there…"

"You mean if you hadn't been following me!" she retorted, angry with him. "And you left the USB drive in there! Clark, I needed it!"

"You mean this?" Clark raised his hand with the small drive in it.

"Oh, thank god you have it!" Chloe exclaimed with relief.

"What were you even doing with Lex Luthor? Chloe, he's dangerous! I can't watch you putting yourself in the crossfire like that! I care about you too much!"

"It was all for you!" she said and took the drive from him. "He was onto you and I got that date as a cover! I wanted to know what he had on you!"

"Chloe, you could've told me! I would've checked it out! He wouldn't have even seen me!"

"Too late now. And I don't need you every time I have some suspicions. I am fully capable of taking care of myself!" She got to her laptop and plugged the drive in.

Clark rolled her eyes and followed her.

"Can you at least promise me you won't do this again? I'm not trying to tell you not to go out and investigate for the paper, but Luthor is a different thing. He's really dangerous. And now you've crossed him."

"He won't do anything to me. Trust me… And it looks like there's nothing that would connect what he knows about you to Smallville and his accident… for now…" she informed when looking at her laptop. "We still need to be careful though."

"You let me believe you had a date with him. With the most dangerous man we both know," Clark went on. "What if I wasn't there to save you?"

"He wouldn't have killed me. I'm working for the Daily Planet and I marked my track. They all knew where I was tonight."

"Do you think that's enough? Chloe, I've been worrying sick about you!"

"And we were jealous?" she asked, standing up and looking him in the eye.

"Chloe," he said. "This is serious."

"But you were jealous. I can tell. You still are. Even though you have no reason to be."

"Don't I? I know it's not right to just barge into your life like this again, but I… I can't let you go. You can tell me to go and I will, but I… I love you and when I saw Lex hitting you… I was so scared. Don't put yourself in danger like this again, promise me?"

Chloe's eyes softened. They were here again, so close, feeling so much. She could not keep him on distance anymore. She wanted him so badly.

"I don't want you to disappear, because my life is nothing without you. I've spent those last three years hating you and loving you in the same time. I know it wasn't your fault that you left and I made peace with it. A part of me has been always waiting for you, even though I did not want to admit it. Can we just put it all behind?" she asked.

"Of course. I am here and I am not going anywhere, Chloe, I promise," he said, raising his hand to touch her cheek.

She leaned into his palm.

"Can you?" she asked. "Can you promise me? Because I will not stand another time you…"

"I can promise it. Jor-El set me free and if anything, he always keeps his word."

"Thank God. In that case… I love you too. I always have and always will."

Clark thought he was dreaming. All he wanted was right there, beside him. He just needed to reach out and take it.

And he did.

His lips soon crashed against hers.

* * *

**AN **Next should be the epilogue : )


End file.
